Court orders free treatment for acid attack survivor, protection for family

Victim was always treated poorly by her husband who is the prime suspect, says mother.

KARACHI: A woman whose husband threw acid on her face will be receiving treatment on state expenses and her family will be given protection as well.

The Sindh High Court (SHC) ordered the health and police officials to provide her the best medical care and make sure the family are well-protected. The survivor Ruqaiya’s family had filed a petition seeking protection and demanding a trial of the suspects under the anti-terrorism act, 1997.

Her mother, Kausar Parveen, cited the provincial home secretary, the provincial police chief, DIG Karachi, Sharae Noor Jehan police station SHO and its in-charge investigations, and four other men - Muhammad Asghar, Muhammad Akbar, Muhammad Abbas and Fida Hussain - as respondents. She told the judges her daughter married Asghar, who was cruel to her from day one.

On April 6 this year, Asghar threw acid on Ruqaiya along with his brothers, Akbar and Abbas. She received critical injuries on her body, including her face, while her four children - eight-year-old Waqas, four-year-old Hussain, three-year-old Usman and two-year-old Ahmed - also suffered burns. Ruqqaiya is still under treatment at Civil Hospital Karachi’s Burns Ward.

“The Sharae Noor Jehan police have lodged a case 138/2013 under the attempt-to-murder section, but it should be registered under the anti-terrorism law,” pointed out the family’s lawyer, Qadir Hussain. He pleaded the court order the transfer of the proceedings from the ordinary court to the special anti-terrorism court to try the suspects under the anti-terrorism law for the gruesome offences they have committed.



The court was also told that the suspects were extending threats to the victim’s mother and children and warning of dire consequences for taking the case to the court. The lawyer requested the court order the police to provide the necessary protection.

Progress in case

On Wednesday, Sharae Noor Jehan police supervisory investigation officer Nisar Lodhi told the judges that three suspects - Asghar, Abbas and Akbar - had been arrested and case had been charge sheeted before the anti-terrorism court.

They are also making efforts to track down the remaining suspects, who have gone into hiding in Punjab. A letter has been sent to the authorities requesting permission to send a police team to arrest the absconders but they have yet to receive permission, he added.

Protection ordered

After the petitioner’s lawyer expressed satisfaction with the investigation’s outcome, the bench disposed of the petition. Chief Justice Mushir Alam, who headed the bench, ordered the police to ensure the petitioner and her family are given due protection and the culprits do not harass them anymore.

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