Acid attacks: Two women burnt in two incidents

One loses vision in both eyes.

FAISALABAD:

Two women were attacked with acid in two incidents on Saturday.

One of them lost vision in her both eyes and suffered severe burns to over 40 per cent of her body.

Mochiwala police said Shabnam Bibi* was burnt with acid allegedly by her husband Muhammad Ramazan and his two accomplices over an argument on Saturday evening.

They said one of his accomplices had been arrested and was being questioned about the whereabouts of the suspect.

Shabnam Bibi’s screams for help attracted some of the neighbours to the scene who later took her to Jhang district headquarters (DHQ) hospital where she is still under treatment.

They said the suspects had fled by the time they reached the scene.

Dr Akbar Ali, one of the doctors treating her at the hospital, said besides the damage to her eyes, the acid had burned her face, shoulders, and arms.

“She has lost vision in her both eyes,” he said. He said one of her eyes was completely damaged when she was brought to the hospital on Saturday. He said the other eye was wounded and she later lost vision in it as well.

“It was confirmed during an examination by an eye surgeon today,” he said.

Acid attack ‘by brother’

In another incident in Batala Colony, a woman was attacked with acid allegedly by her brother.

Police said Saleema Bibi*, a resident of Allama Iqbal Colony, was under treatment at Faisalabad divisional headquarters (DHQ) hospital.

They said the suspect had fled by the time a police team reached the scene

Doctors treating her said she had suffered burns to her face, neck and shoulders. They said her eyes were also affected but whether or not she had lost her vision would be ascertained once she was examined by an eye surgeon.

*Names of the victims have been changed to protect their identity

Published in The Express Tribune, July 2^nd, 2012.