A forthright, newly-wed girl determined to make her husband quit taking drugs paid the price of her boldness by being subjected to the worst kind of violence by her husband and in-laws.
Saman Qaiser, 21, daughter of Muhammad Qaiser, a resident of Batala Colony, was married to Ahmed Usman four months ago.
The girl’s family did not know that the boy was addicted to drugs.
During the four months of their marriage, Ahmed took drugs in front of his wife at home many a times. Warnings from his wife had not had any effect on him.
On Saturday night, Ahmed not only took drugs in front of his wife but even forced her to take marijuana, but his wife stood her grounds.
Her refusal infuriated Ahmed, and he allegedly struck Saman’s head with a stick, knocking her unconscious. While still unconscious, Ahmed and his family drove Saman to her parents’ house, dumped her at the doorsteps and fled.
Saman’s uncle Faisal Nadeem was the first person who spotted Saman lying unconscious at the doorsteps. He immediately informed 15 of what had transpired.
Soon Batala Colony police reached the spot and shifted the victim to the Civil Hospital.
Meanwhile Saman had regained her consciousness and had her statement recorded.
According to Saman’s uncle Faisal, the accused had married for the second time. He had divorced his first wife. “Ahmed tried to drug my niece. When my niece refused, the accused lost his temper and severely tortured my niece. Accused Ahmed is threatening to kill Saman if she demands a divorce.”
Read Two women shot dead over property dispute
He appealed to the chief minister and the IG of Punjab to take action against her niece’s husband and his family members “who targeted my niece”. Batala Colony SHO Inspector Ayub Sahi said that action would be taken after they received the medical report.
According to a report compiled by Punjab Police, violence against women in Punjab is on the rise for the past few years.
Just a week before the Eidul Azha holidays in Lahore a number of crime against women cases were reported.
On July 17, a man was booked for setting his wife ablaze after brutal torture in an incident of domestic violence in Kahna. Reportedly, the suspect was deranged after his wife insisted on not selling their home.
The suspect allegedly beat his wife with rods and pipes. After the victim fell unconscious in her bed, the suspect sprinkled petrol and set her on fire. A day prior to this incident, a man attempted sexual assault on a minor girl in Shahdara Town.
It came forth during the investigation that the suspect was a habitual offender but was nabbed for the first time. On July 15, at least three women were found murdered.
Moreover, a man shot dead his niece in Manawan in a domestic dispute, and a woman was found dead in her flat in Nawab Town.
On July 14, a 35-year-old woman named Rani Bibi was found murdered in the fields in Shera Kot. She was reportedly stabbed to death. Later, it transpired her husband had murdered her with the help of accomplices.
On the same day, a teenage girl was recovered unconscious from Davis Road, Lahore. She was a resident of Karachi and had been visiting a bazaar near her home.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 8th, 2021.
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ