JHANG: A woman and her young daughter suffered serious burns when a jilted suitor threw acid on them while they were asleep in their house in Jinnah Colony, Qaim Bhirwana, some 40km from here on Friday night.

According to Waryam police station sources, Asmat Ullah, a resident of Battimanjer village, Bhakkar district, who worked at a refrigerator workshop owned by Touseef at Qaim Bharwana, wanted to marry Shabnam Bibi of the same area.

He sent a marriage proposal to her father Haq Nawaz through Touseef. The proposal was rejected by Shabnam’s father, which enraged Asmat Ullah.

To avenge the ‘dishonor’, Asmat Ullah, along with Touseef sneaked into Haq Nawaz’s house in the night, carrying an acid bottle.

Asmat Ullah allegedly threw acid on Shabnam and her mother Mumtaz Bibi who were asleep and fled the scene. Both women suffered serious acid burns.

Waryam police, after being informed of the incident, rushed to the spot and shifted the both injured women to the district headquarters hospital where they were being treated.

According to the hospital sources, Shabnam suffered severe burns on her face, particularly her eyes, while her mother was also injured.

Police arrested Touseef immediately while Asmat went in hiding. A police team has been dispatched to Bhakkar to arrest the prime suspect.

Published in Dawn, September 21th, 2014