Woman humiliated for asking for wages

MULTAN: A peasant woman was allegedly stripped and humiliated on Sunday at the dera of a landlord, in Kot Addu, who owed her wages. Muzafarrgarh police said they had registered a case against nine people, including the landlord and three women.

Muzaffargarh DPO Owais Ahmad Malik ordered an inquiry into the incident.

He said Ameer Bakhsh Chandio and his wife, residents of Chak 650-TDA, used to work on fields owned by Atta Muhammad, the landlord. They had taken up employment with him three months ago. He was supposed to pay them a total of Rs1,100.

He said on Sunday, Chandio had sent his wife to Atta Muhammad to ask for wages. When she arrived at the farmhouse, Atta Muhammad and his companions had attempted to rape her. The woman told journalists that she had been visiting Atta Muhammad for the last five days asking him to pay her Rs1,100. “He used to scold me and turn me away. When I visited the dera on Sunday, he said he would teach me a lesson.”

Police said several residents of Chak 650-TDA had held a demonstration against the incident and had blocked MM Road for two hours.

The DPO arrived at the scene and spoke to the protesters. They registered a case and formed a team to look for the culprits. Sarwar Shaheed police have registered an FIR on a complaint filed by the woman.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 13^th, 2016.