Acid attack: More attackers than the police claim?

Complainants say three assailants responsible for the attack.

BAHAWALNAGAR:

At least three people were involved in the acid-throwing incident on Thursday burnt eight people, witnesses have told The Express Tribune.

On Friday, police presented Nazeer alias Jeera before a magistrate and secured a three-day remand for further investigations.

Speaking to The Tribune, SHO Bashir Pehlwan said, “There was only one attacker. We have apprehended him.”

However, two watchmen who were passing by the warehouse in the timber market in Haroonabad where the attack occurred told The Tribune that they saw three men.

Watchman Majeed said, “We heard a noise. We initially thought it was some cats but it was someone trying to pick the lock.” Watchman Najeeb said, “I climbed the roof and saw two-three veiled people in the shop.”

He said they informed Basharat Pinsota, the shopowner about the thieves. He came and his brother, Sadaqat, led nearly 10 police officials.

He said that when police opened the shutter after cordoning off the warehouse, the thieves threw acid at them and ran away but Sadaqat was able to apprehend one of the attackers.

The owners had said that two other criminally had managed to flee.

The injured were taken to Haroonabad THQ. Two were shifted to Victoria Hospital Bahawalpur. Doctors treating them said policemen Maqsood and Asghar had lost both eyes and thirty per cent of their bodies had been burnt.

Doctors treating victims in Haroonabad THQ had said they had suffered over 40 per cent burns but were likely to survive.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 15^th, 2012.