Man held for torturing, threatening widow in Rawalpindi

RAWALPINDI:

Police have arrested a man for allegedly torturing and hurling threats to a widow and her two sons over a property dispute in Zaman Colony and launched a thorough investigation.

The Civil Lines police took action on the intervention of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz and sent a report to the Chief Minister’s Office. Earlier the CM took notice of the violence and sought a report from the Punjab police chief.

Rawalpindi SSP Operations Hafiz Kamran along with Civil Lines DSP reached the affected woman's house and gathered facts.

According to a Punjab Police spokesperson, the woman's husband, Syed Athar Ali, passed away 10 years ago. Athar’s brother Riaz Ali Shah married two years ago and started living in the same house where Athar’s wife and two kids lived. Both sides developed a dispute over the residential property and moved to court.

On the day of the incident, Riaz exchanged arguments with the widow and attacked her with a sharp-edged tool. His other brother Iftikhar Shah also hurled threats over the phone.

Later, the police apprehended Riaz and booked him in a case besides initiating efforts to arrest Iftikhar. In the meeting with the widow, the SSP Operations assured her of complete protection.

Rawalpindi City Police Office Khalid Hamdani said that the Punjab Police are acting on the chief minister’s vision of "no violence against women” and are taking immediate action against perpetrators of violence, harassment, and abuse against women.

CM Maryam Nawaz has already issued her policy statement that domestic violence against women is intolerable as “this is our red line”.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 24^th, 2024.