‘Cannibal’ taken to hospital for short time

Arif was hospitalised due to complaints of dizziness and headache

BHAKKAR:

An alleged cannibal who has been incarcerated in jail for the last 12 years fell ill and was taken to the District Headquarters Hospital.

The accused, Arif, was admitted to the hospital due to complaints of dizziness and headache after legal steps were taken.

The DPO of Bhakkar, Muhammad Naveed Qureshi, ensured strict security measures during the suspect's treatment at the hospital.

A medical board conducted a thorough examination of Arif and sent samples to the laboratory for testing.

Dr. Nadeem Raza Siyal, the MS of the DHQ Hospital in Bhakkar, said that Arif, the alleged cannibal, was discharged after a two-hour stay.

The final decision on further treatment would be based on the test reports. Arif and his brother were arrested 12 years ago in Kahawar Kallan area of Darya Khan Tehsil on the charges of cannibalism.

They had allegedly eaten the corpses of a young girl who had died of cancer and a two-year-old child.

One of the two suspects, Farman, had died in jail while his brother, Arif, is presently incarcerated in the District Jail of Bhakkar.

It has been nine years since a case of cannibalism was reported in Darya Khan, an area of District Bhakkar and legislation against the offence is still in the cold storage.

In 2011, two brothers were held for eating the flesh of human corpses. Police and law enforcement agencies had recovered a pot with curry and other evidence from their house. They were jailed.

However, after being released they again were held for repeating the offence. In 2014, they were arrested for digging up the grave of a child and eating it up. During a raid, police had arrested them again.

They were jailed for 12 years and would be released in six years.

When the issue surfaced, a bill was proposed by the then lawmakers Dr Nikhat Shakeel Khan, Sheikh Salahuddin, Muhammad Muzamil Qureshi and Kishwer Zehra. The bill is still pending before the standing committee.

Dr Nikhat, while talking to The Express Tribune, said she had forwarded the bill that was referred to the standing committee and a sub-committee was established. However, after some time the efforts from mysterious sources came forth to block the same. Since then, it is in cold storage.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 12^th, 2023.