Missing woman found chained

Development comes after video of victim went viral on social media

RAWALPINDI:

A woman who had mysteriously gone missing from her in-laws' house in the Pirwadhai area of Rawalpindi was recovered from an open area with her feet bound in iron chains.

She was shifted to the police station, where legal proceedings were initiated.

A case had been registered a day earlier on charges of illegal confinement, unlawful detention, harassment and criminal intimidation. After a video showing the woman at the police station with chains around her feet went viral, City Police Officer (CPO) Rawalpindi Hassan Mushtaq Sukhera took notice of the matter.

Police said the investigation was under way and the woman's in-laws had also been included in the inquiry.

According to police, the viral video showed the woman sitting on a chair holding her bag, while iron chains and a locking mechanism were visible on her feet. A man identified as her brother could also be seen and heard speaking to her.

Following the video's circulation, the CPO directed the Rawal SP and City DSP to investigate the matter on merit and submit a report.

A day earlier, the woman's father, Ziarat Gul, had lodged an FIR at Pirwadhai police station.

A resident of Takht Bhai, Mardan, he stated that his daughter, Ismat Ara, was married about four years ago to Ahsan Ali of Boring Road. He alleged that within a month of the marriage, his daughter repeatedly complained that her husband, Ahsan Ali, and his brothers Farooq and Usman subjected her to violence and mistreatment.

He said she frequently complained about abuse, threats and inhumane treatment by her in-laws, while the family kept advising her to remain patient in the hope of saving her marriage. On July 11, Farooq informed him that his daughter had left home, but failed to provide a satisfactory explanation.

The complainant said he strongly suspected that his daughter had been subjected to a serious crime or abducted and unlawfully confined.

He appealed for her immediate recovery, a thorough investigation into the roles of her husband and brothers-in-law, legal action if evidence of kidnapping, illegal confinement or assault emerged, and a medical examination after her recovery to ensure her safety.

Police registered the case, recovered the woman and included the three nominated suspects in the investigation. Officials said they would be formally arrested if found guilty.

Police sources said officers, along with the woman's father and brother, were searching for her when she was found sitting in the open near Zia Colony with chains around her feet.

Speaking to The Express Tribune, the woman's brother said the family had come to Rawalpindi to search for her, while her husband and in-laws had sought two days' time to produce her. He said that before the deadline expired, she was found in Zia Colony with her feet chained.

He further claimed that his sister was also not mentally stable and was unable to properly recognise family members. "We have been wronged. We seek justice," he said.