MULTAN, Sept 21: A 20-year-old bride, torched allegedly by her mother-in-law, is struggling for her life in the burn unit of the Nishtar Hospital.

Humaira Rani of Layyah City was married to Mushtaq Ahmad two months ago.

Layyah City Police told APP by telephone that according to Mushtaq Ahmad, the husband of the victim, on the morning of Sept 12 both the women exchanged hot words; his mother Nasim Mai, in a fit of rage, put kerosene oil on his newly-wed wife and set her ablaze.

Nishtar Hospital’s burn unit in charge Dr Nahid Ahmed told APP on Saturday that Humaira has 90 per cent burn on her body.

Saying that the chances of Humaira’s survival were bleak, the doctor said:” she is quite young and still conscious but her burns are so severe that she is not out of danger at all.”

The police registered the case (FIR No 292/03) under Section 324 PPC but said that the accused woman was admitted to a Pindi hospital for some heart ailment and could not be arrested yet.