Biting rejection: Landlord sets dogs on girl for rejecting him a year ago

Doctors say Aliya Bibi is in a coma.

A woman was seriously injured after a local landlord released ferocious dogs on her on Sunday morning.

According to village locals in Moza Katchi Shukrani, landlord Pir Buksh unleashed a pack of his dogs on Aliya Bibi. According to Katchi Shukrani resident Khurram, Pir Buksh had a longstanding dispute with Aliya’s father, Abdullah. “A few years ago he sent a proposal for her hand in marriage but she refused him. Her father also refused the match and ever since Pir Buksh and his sons have been threatening her and her family,” he told police officials.

On Sunday afternoon, Aliya Bibi was visiting her neighbour’s house to borrow some flour when Pir Buksh spotted her and released six of his hunting dogs on her. The dogs chased the woman through the streets and attacked her. “We all saw the dogs chase after her and we tried to catch them. We managed to stop two of them but the rest just lunged at her,” said a local resident Hafiz Kareem. “Pir Buksh has been threatening her and her family for over a year. Everyone knew that she had turned down his proposal because he was already married and he swore revenge on the entire family,” he told police officials.

Moza Katchi Police Station House Officer (SHO) Razaq Bismillah said that he had questioned several people in the village in this regard. “When we went to Pir Buksh’s house to take him in for questioning he had nearly twenty men standing outside with guns. I have called in a larger police contingent to deal with the situation,” he said.

“Two years ago Pir came to my house and asked for my daughters hand she and I both refused because he is married and has a reputation for being violent.

He swore revenge on our family and threatened my daughter for rejecting his proposal,” Abdullah told police officials.

Aliya Bibi was attacked by four vicious dogs and suffered severe wounds to her neck and her chest. Village residents shifted her to the rural health centre in Uch Sharif but doctors there said they were unable to treat her wounds.

“She was seriously injured and is in critical condition. There are multiple scratches and dog bites. We administered an anti-rabies vaccine and transferred her to the THQ hospital,” said Dr Farooq.

Aliya Bibi is currently in a coma in the THQ hospital and doctors have deemed her condition to be critical. “We are trying our hardest to save her life and we have stitched up most of the wounds but we fear that some of them might get infected,” said Dr Shabana Hameed.

Abdullah has registered a case against Pir Buksh with the local police and police officials said that they will take the landlord into questioning as soon as possible.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 13^th, 2011.