Acid throwing: Man gets 57 years for burning three women

Threw acid on former employer’s daughters after he was sacked from job.

FAISALABAD:

An Anti Terrorism Court on Thursday sentenced a man to 57 years in prison for throwing acid on three women I Peoples Colony area of Faisalabad.

Judge Ishtiaq Ahmad Malik observed in the judgment that “this despicable crime is on the rise in our society. The attackers need to be dealt exemplary punishments.”

Convict Abdul Qayyum, a resident of Kabirwala, was arrested after he burned three daughters of his employer “in order to take revenge for his dismissal from the job. Qayyum had been working as a helper at Sheikh Waqar Aslam’s shop and was sacked in February.

The crime took place on Feb 15. The women suffered severe burns and were shifted to a hospital where they were still under treatment.

“I have no doubt that acid throwing in an offence under section 324 of the Pakistan Penal Code as it can lead to the death of the victim. “It is also punishable under Section 337-A. I also convict Abdul Qayyum under Section 452 of PPC and sentence him to five years rigorous imprisonment.

“I also convict him under Section 324 for his intention to kill the women and sentence him to eight years on three courts.

The judgment further read that acid throwing on women was a schedule offence and that the convict was further convicted under section 7 of the Anti Terrorism Act of 1997 and sentenced to right years on three courts.

The judge also imposed Rs100,000 fine on Qayyum.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 7^th, 2011.