Acid attacks: The burning sting of rejection

Man throws acid on woman and her two daughters after his proposal is turned down.

FAISALABAD:

A woman and her two young daughters received severe burnt injuries when an infuriated youth threw acid on them over a marriage dispute on Saturday.

According to police officials, Layyah resident Ghulam Dastgir had proposed to Shamsabad resident Muhammad Aslam’s daughter Rashida, 16, but Aslam’s wife Parveen Bibi refused to accept the proposal.

“Aslam and his wife asked Rashida about the proposal and she didn’t want to marry Dastagir so they refused. When they did, he immediately began threatening everyone in the room and said he would exact revenge,” a servant at the house told police officials. “He kept saying that it was their duty to accept his proposal and that they were insulting him and his entire family by turning him down,” he added.

On Saturday morning, Ghulam Dastgir and his accomplices chased after Parveen Bibi and her daughters Rashida and Zaib, 12, after they were returning home from a market. “They were walking home and he was chasing after them on a motorcycle. When they stopped at a signal, he threw acid on all three of them and fled the scene,” said a neighbour Khadim Hussain, who immediately took the women to Allied Hospital. “The incident occurred near Old Chungi Bhai Wala,” he added.

Parveen and her daughters Rashida and Zaib received serious burn wounds to their faces, chests, necks, arms and shoulders. A Rescue 1122 team rushed to the spot and shifted the women to Allied Hospital, where they are reportedly in critical condition. “The burns are severe and all of the women have received severe burns to their faces,” said a Rescue 1122 official Dawood Khan.

Allied hospital officials said that the women had each received over 40 to 45 per cent third degree burns. “Rashida has suffered the most severe burns to her face and her eyes have been completely burned,” said Dr Mubarak Shah. “Parveen’s face, eyes and neck has been badly burned and Zaib has suffered third degree burns to her arms and neck,” he added. Hospital officials said that they had discharged Zaib after treating her burn wounds.

Millat Town police registered a case under Section 324 of the Pakistan Penal Code and Section 7 of the Anti- Terrorism Act on the complaint of Abdul Aleem, Parveen Bibi’s son in law.

The complainant filed that four accused had chased after the women on 2 motorcycles. “Dastagir is living in a local export and textile unit in Faisalabad and police have still not arrested him. He has called the house and threatened to kill my sisters’ in law,” he said.

SHO Khalid Gujjar said that a special team has been constituted for the arrest of the accused. “We have registered the case after we received the doctor’s report. The accused will be behind bars within 24 hours,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 28^th, 2011.