Woman, baby daughters burnt with acid

Police say assailant was angry at Aziza Mai for warning her friend against marrying him.

MULTAN:

Alpa police arrested a man on Tuesday for throwing acid at a woman and her two daughters.

The woman, Aziza Mai, and her daughters Sonia, 7, and Sania, 5, were taken to Nishtar Hospital, where they were reported to be in critical condition. An FIR has been registered against six men on a complaint filed by the woman’s husband.

Police said Altaf Baloch, a resident of Aurangabad, had an argument with Aziza Mai for allegedly warning a woman against marrying him. They said Baloch had wanted to marry one of Aziza Mai’s friends, and that Aziza Mai had told her about Baloch’s first wife.

On Tuesday, police said, Baloch, his friend Muhammad Nazir and four unidentified men, broke into the victim’s house, while her husband Ghulam Muhammad was away, and attacked her and her two daughters with acid. The perpetrators then fled.

Some neighbours heard the woman scream for help and rushed to their rescue. They were taken to Nishtar Hospital, where doctors said that they were all in critical condition. They said Aziza Mai and Sonia had 60 per cent burns. Sania, they said, had 80 per cent burns.

Nazir was arrested in a few hours, police said. They said they were looking for Baloch and the other accomplices.

The victim’s husband said that Baloch had had accused his wife of trying to break up his relationship with her friend and threatened his family.

Station House Officer Khalid Amin said that the FIR included the terrorism charge. He said the police were also questioning Aziza Mai’s friend, Baloch had wanted to marry.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 24^th, 2013.