Man throws acid on wife to be

Police say delayed date of marriage triggered the attack

LAHORE: A man threw acid on his fiancée on Thursday for delaying the date of their marriage.

The victim was a working lady and employed by a pharmacy in Defence. The victim, identified as Benish Sharif, a resident of street No3 Bhatta Chowk, was returning late on Wednesday night and was standing at the bus stand. That is when the suspect, Asmat, threw acid on her and fled from the scene.



She was admitted to Mayo Hospital for treatment and doctors said the victim had received 30% burn injuries. An FIR was registered at the Defence A police station against the suspect on the complaint of the father of the victim.

Investigation In Charge Inspector Israr Ahmad told The Express Tribune that the initial probe indicated that the victim was attacked because she disagreed with her fiancé over the date of marriage.

The suspect was asking her to tie the knot early, but the girl needed more time. This denial/rejection infuriated the suspect who attacked the victim. Israr said they were conducting raids to arrest the suspect and further information would be revealed after further investigations.



He said that they have not received the medico-legal report to confirm the seriousness of the victim’s condition. Violence against women, including acid attacks is rampant in Pakistan. Women activists say the violence is used to oppress them.

Acid attacks are a serious issue as the victim carried the scars on her face that can torment her throughout life.

Acid Survivors Foundation, an NGO working on the issue, had compiled data of the victims. It showed that the acid attacks witnessed 50% decrease in 2016 when compared to 2014.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 15^th, 2017.