Call for attention: Woman sets self on fire

LAHORE: A woman set herself on fire in front of Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif’s residence on Friday to register her protest against the police. Abida Parveen doused herself in kerosene oil and set herself on fire near the chief minister’s Model Town home. She was taken to Jinnah Hospital for treatment where doctors said her condition was critical. They said she had 40 per cent burns. The woman was a resident of Shafiqabad and has four children. Her husband is unemployed. She had alleged that her husband’s brothers were not giving them their share in inherited property. She also claimed that they used to beat her and her husband when they demanded their share. She said the police had taken no action against them when she had approached them. Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has taken notice of the incident and sought a report.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 22^nd, 2014.