According to DSP Abdul Fateh Sangri, the offender, identified as Kamran, threw acid on teenage girls, Zarin and Erum, at Erum’s house in Sector 5 D. They were taken to the burns ward of the Civil hospital. Zarin was treated and sent home while Erum, who was received more burns, will take at least 40 days to recover, after which she will undergo a surgery, according to Dr Dabeerur Rehman, the ward in charge.
According to Zarin’s family, the incident occurred when they went to Surjani Town – their old neighborhood for a visit.
“On our way we suspected that someone was following us,” said Zarin’s grandfather, Islamuddin. “So we got off at Erum’s house first because it was the nearest.” He said that the family had been sitting inside for a short while when there was a knock at the door. “Both the girls went to open the gate,” said the grandfather. “As soon as they opened the gate, Kamran threw acid on them and ran away.”
The intended target was Zarin, but Erum received most of the burns because she tried to stop Kamran by holding his hand and protect her friend.
Senior medico-legal officer, Dr Aftab Channar said that Erum sustained 25 per cent burns while Zarin sustained 15 per cent. Both the girls’ faces and foreheads were also affected.
Islamuddin said that Kamran, who also lived in the same neighbourhood as Erum, wanted to marry Zarin and also sent over marriage proposals twice, but the family refused because “she was still a teenager.”
The family had moved to Ayub Goth, near Sohrab Goth, around 1.5 years ago and had fixed Zarin’s marriage with someone else.
Kamran was picked up by the police on Sunday night. He confessed to the crime, said DSP Fateh Sangri. His defence was that the family compelled him to do it.
“I asked the family for Zarin’s hand in marriage repeatedly,” said Kamran. “But they always refused. Sometimes they would give the excuse of her age, sometimes different sects, and other times they said that she was studying. So, I decided that if she can’t be mine, she cannot be anyone else’s as well.” He insisted that Zarin’s family were equally punishable for the act as he was because they compelled him to act this way.
The police registered an FIR under the Pakistan Penal Code on Zarin’s request. The police said that they believed that Kamran had an accomplice. “He came in a rickshaw,” said DSP Sangri. “We are trying to find out who his aide was. We will present him to court after we arrest him.”
According to Sangri, the Acid Control and Acid Crime Prevention Bill, passed by the parliament this year, calls for a prison term from 14 years to life imprisonment and fines of up to Rs1 million for the perpetrator of the crime.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 27th, 2011.
COMMENTS (18)
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ashamed to be a Pakistani, so am i.
what is there to be proud off??
and this guy, acid should be thrown at his face!!! and he should be hanged!!
he ruined the girls life, why? just because her parents did not think he deserved to be her husband??!!
such a looser.
Obviously the girl and family realized he was a psycho and unfit to marry. He deserves and should be given the most severe punishment for destroying the future and lives of two females.
I would like to see the judiciary, law enforcement agencies and NGO's work together to root out this evil by taking strict deterrent action. How easy it is for him to say he was 'compelled' to do so. By whom???? Does that absolve him of the crime?
As a society we need to take responsibility for our actions and be given punishments that are meaningful. An eye for an eye????
Such cowardly beasts should have acid thrown over their private parts and eyes. It's a shame to know that I share the title of "Pakistani" with such people (and more disturbingly, such a mindset).
May I ask how come toxic acids like the one used is so openly available in Pakistan?
I would gladly execute this person free of charge...as a public service. Seriously, I would. Without 1 iota of emotion or remorse. A person like that, in that frame of mind, with the values that they (he) posses has no chance of ever becoming a member of a peaceful and civil society. He and his ilk must be eliminated for the benefit of "the rest", "the normal", "the peaceful".
The guy is not a criminal. He felt hurt, he burned her face. Now if she feels hurt, she has every right to castrate the man. Jungle's law must be upheld, after all we are mere animals.
@Iron hand You are obviously pea-brained. how can you bring religion into this discussion? Justify your statement otherwise shut your mouth and try to grow up.
From religious point of view, a person who kills one is as if he has killed all humanity. Assuming that these girls will have to suffer (in some way) their entire life due to damaged faces, this guy must be punished not equally but far more aggressively for he spoilt two lives un-provoked. Possibly execution is the answer.
@Paki-Australian: "Is this how Paki mentality works?" Evidently, yes. He was "compelled" to throw acid, just as others are "compelled" to blow up schools. When you live in a society where "honor" is paramount, the golden rule is ignored, and morality is based solely on the interpretation and adherence to ancient religious texts, any behavior, no matter how obviously wrong, can be rationalized, even justified.
There should be exactly the same punishment for all animals like him. He should be given 35% burn by same acid on same areas of his body after taking monitory fine which should be huge enough for all present and future treatment of both girls. How many lives need to be shattered before the insensitive bill would be passed by authorities??????? What a shame !
Punishment for such a crime must be harsh, but prevention starts way beyond that.Children must be taught they cannot hurt or harm other people without repercussions.
such a mad man he is. The whole society deserves the punishment coz he did a crime. Why dont they understand if a girl does'nt want to marry you LEAVE her ALONE its her life not yours
He should have same punishment, acid thrown on his face!!
Now tell me. WHy shouldnt this guy be hanged?
Well as for Pakistani Australian person I don't think it's appropriate for u to say that u r ashamed of being a Pakistani our country is going through tough times lack of education,guidance,opportunity and corruption has destroyed our society and hence we such deplorable acts but we instead of losing hope and criticizing our country should try to contribute towards it's development ! Because it's painful for us to hear a Pakistani being ashamed of being a Pakistani
@Paki-Australian
Way to generalize there buddy. Most of us are aghast at such attacks.
People like him deserves no less punishment then a humiliating death.
Kamran decided that if Zarin couldn't be his, she couldn't be anyone else’s as well ?
Where did Kamran get the idea that he was in control of Zarin's fate, or that throwing acid was an acceptable thing to do?
He should be punished to the fullest extent of the Acid Control and Acid Crime Prevention Bill, and his punishment should be carried by every media outlet possible to hopefully deter other potential acid throwers.
Laws are meaningless unless they are enforced!
Is this how Paki mentality works? More often then not I feel ashamed of my fellow Paki Citizens, ashamed of being a Pakistani!
Anyhow, the new law must be tested and this criminal & accomplice tried under the new law. Set an example with the strictest of punishments. Nothing less.