QUETTA: The provincial president of PML-Q’s women’s wing, Dr Ruqayya Saeed Hashmi, has condemned acid attacks on women in Quetta and Mastung and called upon the government to take all measures to arrest those involved in such inhuman acts.

In a statement on Wednesday, she accused the officials concerned of not making sufficient efforts for arresting the culprits involved in spraying acid on innocent women in Quetta Mastung.

Six women suffered burn injuries in such attacks over the past three days in markets of Quetta and Mastung where they were busy shopping for Eid.

BNP demonstrates against acid attacks

“Neither Islam nor any other religion allows for brutality of throwing acid on women,” said Dr Hashmi, who has also served as a member of the Balochistan cabinet.

She said that police, Levies Force and other law-enforcement agencies were given billions of rupees annually to provide protection to the life and property of people.

However, she regretted, not a single accused of acid attacks had been brought to justice. She pointed out that such incidents had also occurred a few years ago.

Two women wounded in Mastung acid attack

The PML-Q leader said that when the car of a senior official was stolen recently police and law-enforcement agencies personnel moved swiftly, recovering the vehicle and arresting the suspects who were then produced before the courts.

However, she alleged, those agencies were not showing the same interest and zeal as far as arresting the elements behind the acid attacks was concerned.

She appealed to the chief justices of the Supreme Court and the Balochistan High Court and the prime minister and chief minister of Balochistan to take notice of such incidents and make the officials concerned to immediately arrest the culprits.

Four women injured in Quetta acid attack

Published in Dawn, July 24th , 2014