Woman burnt to death by landlord in Nankana Sahib

Police say two accused have been arrested

FAISALABAD: In a horrific incident that occurred in a village in Nankana Sahib, a female domestic aide was burnt alive by her employer, a feudal landlord, on Wednesday.

Saddar Police Station SHO Amjad Ali told The Express Tribune that 35-year-old Fozia Bibi, a mother of five and a resident of Chak No 563, had borrowed some money from her employer Muhammad Hanif.



“When he asked her to return the money, Fozia requested him to adjust the amount against her salary which was not paid for almost two months,” he revealed.

“At this, Hanif got enraged and started abusing her and threatened her of dire consequences,” he added.

“However, when Fozia showed annoyance over using abusive language, the accused got infuriated and doused her in petrol with the help of his son Naveed Ahmad as well as Bilal Ahmad,” the SHO maintained. He said the accused set the woman on fire and fled the scene.

While speaking to The Express Tribune, victim’s husband Muhammad Aslam said, “My wife used to work in the fields owned by Muhammad Hanif. He promised to pay Rs13,000 per month as salary to my wife three months ago but failed to pay the amount except for some advance money.”

He added, “When my wife demanded payment of salary, Hanif asked her to return the advance money.”

Aslam said, “Fozia asked him to adjust the outstanding amount against her salary but the accused got annoyed and in a fit of rage, he set her ablaze.”

He elaborated that when he reached the spot and made an attempt to save her life, the accused locked him in a room and also snatched his cellphone.

“My wife was crying and shouting for help but none of the people, who were witnessing the incident, made any attempt to save her life,” he lamented.

He said after his wife fell unconscious, the accused set him free and he immediately shifted her to Allied Hospital for treatment.



“Her burn injuries were severe and she could not survive,” he told The Express Tribune with tears in his eyes.

Meanwhile, the SHO said the main accused behind the incident, Muhammad Hanif and his son Naveed Ahmad, had been arrested. He said a case under sections 324 and 336-B was registered against them. “We have also included section 302 of the PPC against them on complaint of victim’s husband Muhammad Aslam,” the official told The Express Tribune.

Earlier this year, a case had surfaced of a judge and his wife accused of keeping 10-year-old housemaid in wrongful confinement, burning her hand over a missing broom, beating her with a ladle, detaining her in a storeroom and threatening her with even worse.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 10^th, 2017.