SAHIWAL, Aug 24: A young Pakhtun woman was on Saturday rescued by police from her 55-year-old ‘buyer’ and tormentor who had allegedly been raping her for the last one and a half month at 44/12-L village.

According to Chichawatni Sadar police ASI Nasir Ali, the Emergency 15 received a call from a woman, Begum Bibi, who alleged a Mepco Lineman, Muhammad Ali (55), had been abusing her physically and sexually for the last one month and a half since he ‘bought’ her from a middleman of Mamoon Kanjan.

Following the call, a police party led by ASI Nasir Ali rushed to the village and recovered the 22-year-old woman from the house of lineman Muhammad Ali.

Sources told Dawn that Muhammad Ali earlier married twice but had no son. He had three daughters from her second wife. They said that Ali’s second wife allowed him to contract third marriage but instead he paid Rs120,000 to a middleman of Mamoon Kanjan to ‘buy’ the Pakhtun girl, hoping she would bear him a son.

The sources said the accused had a plan to abandon the woman after she gave birth and give her baby boy to his second wife.

Sources said the woman told the police that at the time of the deal she was told that Muhammad Ali would contract marriage with her but, she alleged, he started raping her and subjecting her to physical and mental torture without solemnising Nikah with her.

Ali’s neighbours also confirmed that the couple had frequent quarrels and they often heard cries and moans of the woman.

After being rescued, the victim requested the police to send her to Darul Aman as she did not want to live with Ali. The police did accordingly.

Chichawatni Sadar SHO Hafiz Saeed told Dawn that though Muhammad Ali admitted he bought the woman but was insisting he solemnised Nikah with her some two month back.

However, Dawn learnt from police sources that Muhammad Ali had not produced Nikah Nama (marriage deed) till filing of this report.

Police say if the accused failed to produce the document by Sunday morning, a rape case will be instituted against him.