Violence against women: Acid thrown on two women, baby girl in Lahore

Victims suffer minor injuries; FIR registered.

LAHORE:
Two women and a baby girl fell victim to an acid attack in broad daylight at a market within the Islampura police precincts on Sunday, The Express Tribune learnt.

According to police officials, Arooj (24), wife of Muhammad Husnain Zaidi, accompanied by her sister-in-law Saba (24) and carrying her two-year-old daughter Fatima, had been purchasing household utilities at Baba Ground when they were attacked by two men on a motorcycle. While they received minor injuries on different parts of the body, their faces remained safe.

Both the accused, whose identities could not be ascertained as yet, fled the scene unchallenged.

The victims rushed to Mayo Hospital on their own immediately after the attack.

SHO Bashir Niazi told The Express Tribune that both the mother and daughter received injuries to their arms while Saba received injuries on her legs and feet.

An FIR against the unidentified attackers has been registered by Muhammad Husnain, husband of Arooj.


Punjab police Inspector General (IG) Haji Habibur Rehman directed Deputy IG Operations to investigate the matter. Meanwhile Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif taking notice of the incident sought a report from the Lahore CCPO in this regard.

Police officials initially maintained that the victims claimed they did not know who their attackers were and were reluctant to lodge an FIR against them. The women also asked the police to not pursue them as they did not want any legal action against the culprits for reasons best known to them.

SHO Niazi said the family is seemingly under pressure from the acid-throwers. He added that despite being assured of security, the family remained persistent with their denial.

Talking to The Express Tribune earlier, Lahore Operations SSP Sarfraz Ahmad Manj maintained the case details could not be investigated due to the family’s unwillingness to lodge the FIR. He claimed the victims accused police of trying to malign their family when they tried to talk to them at the hospital.

Manj suspected the attack was based on personal enmity and not a random incident. He said the attackers used a small quantity of acid due to which no one was seriously injured.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 28th, 2012.
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