Cleaning house: Battles for a bar of soap
Dozens of women brawl after trader begins distributing free soap.
HAFIZABAD:
A large group of women came to blows during the distribution of free soap bars in the district on Saturday.
According to eyewitnesses, a local trader brought a truck to distribute free bars of soap among women in Hafizabad and a brawl broke out as several women began tearing at each others clothes and hitting others to get the soap.
Local trader Waseem began distributing the Rs10 soap sachets for free and the women came to blows during the distribution.
“It was mayhem. Eventually the police had to break up fights between several women.
They began hitting each other with shoes,” said an eyewitness Ashraf. “I got caught between two groups of women hitting each other with shoes for the soap. It was ridiculous,” Mujahid Kashif said.
Several shop keepers on Farooq Azam Road tried to break up the brawls and eventually police officials were called to the scene to break up the brawls.
“It was mayhem when we arrived. There were several groups of women hitting each other for a bar of soap!” said a police official.
“I thought I was doing them a good turn by distributing the detergent and soap for free. As it turned out I shouldn’t have bothered.
So many of them began beating each other up that few ended up getting the soap in the end,” Waseem said. Police officials broke up the crowd after shutting down the sales point.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 21st, 2011.
A large group of women came to blows during the distribution of free soap bars in the district on Saturday.
According to eyewitnesses, a local trader brought a truck to distribute free bars of soap among women in Hafizabad and a brawl broke out as several women began tearing at each others clothes and hitting others to get the soap.
Local trader Waseem began distributing the Rs10 soap sachets for free and the women came to blows during the distribution.
“It was mayhem. Eventually the police had to break up fights between several women.
They began hitting each other with shoes,” said an eyewitness Ashraf. “I got caught between two groups of women hitting each other with shoes for the soap. It was ridiculous,” Mujahid Kashif said.
Several shop keepers on Farooq Azam Road tried to break up the brawls and eventually police officials were called to the scene to break up the brawls.
“It was mayhem when we arrived. There were several groups of women hitting each other for a bar of soap!” said a police official.
“I thought I was doing them a good turn by distributing the detergent and soap for free. As it turned out I shouldn’t have bothered.
So many of them began beating each other up that few ended up getting the soap in the end,” Waseem said. Police officials broke up the crowd after shutting down the sales point.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 21st, 2011.