Woman 'set on fire for refusing marriage proposal' in Multan

E-Paper | July 29, 2026

MULTAN : A young woman was recovering in hospital Friday after she was burned over nearly half her body by a man she had refused to marry, police said.

Sonia Bibi, 20, told police from her hospital bed that her former lover Latif Ahmed sprinkled her with petrol and set her alight after she turned down his proposal.

A doctor in Multan's main Nishtar hospital confirmed to AFP that 45 to 50 percent of Bibi's body had been burnt in the attack, but said she was out of danger.

The incident took place in a remote village of Multan district in central Punjab, and police have arrested 24-year-old Ahmed, local police official Jamshaid Hayat told AFP.

“Police arrested the man after recording the statement of Sonia Bibi in the presence of her parents,” Hayat said.

“The girl told us that she was in love with Latif, whom she accused of dousing her in gasoline and setting her alight,” Hayat said.

Police have launched a probe, he said, but preliminary investigations suggested Latif had set Bibi on fire “after she refused to marry him”.

Mukhtar Cheema, another police official in Multan confirmed the incident, saying that Bibi had told police she had turned Ahmed down as she was no longer in love with him.

Pakistan

Lack of access to cooling to amplify heat deaths in Pakistan, study says

Rivers may swell again as fresh monsoon spell arrives

Achakzai calls for Jirga on Balochistan security crisis

Dubya

Oct 23, 2015 06:04pm

Ohhh I thought it was happening only in India ...

Recommend 0

pre-Boomer Marine brat

Oct 23, 2015 06:09pm

The issue isn't "Women's Rights". It's the inarguable fact that a substantial part of the male population is stuck in a cultural puberty.

Recommend 0

Kamran

Oct 23, 2015 06:13pm

Very sad and shameful act.

Recommend 0

ilyas

Oct 23, 2015 06:26pm

People like him bring shame on pakistan and islam as whole, none muslims pick on incident of this kind and blame it on islam, if the girl has refused to merry him it was time to move on you can't force any one to merry. He should be locked up for this cruel crime.

Recommend 0

duaddash

Oct 23, 2015 06:36pm

Very unfortunate that our (SUB-continent) people are illiterate. We need basic education: human rights/simplicity/creativity/ not hatrate public speaking & interaction quality etc. etc. Let there be light.

Recommend 0

Sholay

Oct 23, 2015 06:38pm

It's the Pakistan leaders if we have good leader this things can get stopped

Recommend 0

M.Saeed

Oct 23, 2015 06:39pm

Pathetic savage ! Let us pray she recovers. But, she should act brave and not, as usual in such cases protect the heinous criminal on brute pressure.

Recommend 0

mint

Oct 23, 2015 06:49pm

The amount of "Jahalat" that comes out of Punjab is a huge disgrace. Similar incidents happen in other places as well. When the state fails in providing proper education to masses and there is limited knowledge , leads to problems like this in society.

Recommend 0

DudeFromDC

Oct 23, 2015 06:52pm

@Dubya .. yeah.. you don't see what's happening in your house...

Recommend 0

Skywalker

Oct 23, 2015 07:05pm

Really? This is sad! People in the sub-continent need to wake up. Why did not the parents of this esteemed man stop him from doing this crime. I guess "son" is always right!

Recommend 0

Daanish

Oct 23, 2015 07:21pm

Bravo. Great job by police. Our people are the worst and then they want good governance.

Recommend 0

The Conjuring

Oct 23, 2015 07:51pm

Government should introduce strict laws to deal such a brutality.

Recommend 0

Philosopher (from Japan)

Oct 23, 2015 08:08pm

She is lucky that she didn't marry with such a criminal minded person. What would happen if he does the same treatment after marriage?

Recommend 0

Surya Murthy

Oct 23, 2015 08:41pm

An act of violence or terror act should be condemned regardless of country you live. Just go and meet the family members of the effected and the effect it has on their future. Someday we may get a IDEA on how to live without politics which is happy and peaceful. Until then keep praying.

Recommend 0

Rev. Eldrick Lal

Oct 23, 2015 08:42pm

@Dubya younger brother follows what elder brother does. Anyways, it is height of insanity and sad plight of Women in both countries.

Recommend 0

Pure ind

Oct 23, 2015 09:13pm

@Dubya yes it happens every where not just in india. India does have its share of women centric issues but at the same time india produces females who make the country proud be it as sports person or business heads.

Recommend 0

Zubaida Khan

Oct 23, 2015 09:20pm

So she was in love, then she wasn't? That is playing with someone's emotion. Women over the centuries have killed for less, hence the term "a woman scorned." This occurs everywhere with remarkable consistency. The law should take its course. Those are counting this as a woman's right issue are stepping over the edge. No one stopped her from loving the guy.

Recommend 0

Oct 23, 2015 09:26pm

@ilyas It is regratable but sadly this happens in all parts of world , including west ,. Some so called MACHO men can't digest rejection and becomes insane. Only humans do this sort of cruelty.

Recommend 0

Niamet Ladak

Oct 23, 2015 09:32pm

@ilyas I agree with you but please spell the word right it is "marry" and not merry which altogether has a different meaning!

Recommend 0

AYESHA

Oct 23, 2015 09:36pm

I don't understand Sonia's statement against the man.

Recommend 0

David Hook

Oct 23, 2015 10:01pm

@Dubya - No, over there they did that to dalit children.

Recommend 0

Abdul Muqtadir

Oct 23, 2015 10:11pm

A similar incident by a Pakistani to a Pakistani woman took place in France some years ago. She survived due to immediate medical help and care. She then sued and France tried and jailed the man. At the same time a similar incident happened in Sindh, Pakistan and poor woman died and the man was walking free. Its time to stop these cruel acts and severely punish these men, if Pakistan wants to stand with the civilized world.

Recommend 0

KeyPoints

Oct 23, 2015 10:17pm

What else you expect from illeterate societ, where abor 25% children do not go to school? Illeterate children growing up as uneducated adults with no skills to find jobs, and no understanding of law of the land. Very sad situation. Lets hope & pray that injured lady by burns marks gets a healthy recovery. Something for rulers of the country to think about as to how long they will continue the nation on path of illeterary? But again, most of the politicians & elites send their children to good school, and some to foreign universities, so they don't have to worry abour poor pakistani children's education at all, may be all they want is to get votes to to stay in power? Very very sad situation.

Recommend 0

Rak

Oct 23, 2015 11:33pm

I am sure I wud have seen more comments in this thread if d same incident has happened in India... No offence. But its true

Recommend 0

babar

Oct 24, 2015 02:17am

So, I'm a little confused .If he was her lover then why did she refuse to marry him ????

Recommend 0

Bitter truth

Oct 24, 2015 02:41am

The male ego is a major issue in South Asia that stems from our cultural roots. Men will have to accept the fact that their attraction may not necessarily be reciprocated.

Recommend 0

Love never dies

Oct 24, 2015 02:46am

Love cannot prevail in baren's heart. Pakistani becholor women, please not try to play, love love with pakistan men, if won't hate of your life.

Recommend 0

anwar saeed USA

Oct 24, 2015 03:12am

One sided love almost always have tragedy end. Over 90% young men fall in love easily then the young women. However, try to burn some alive should be punishable so these acts of violence does not occur or reduced substantially.

Recommend 0

illawarrior

Oct 24, 2015 06:47am

What is wrong with these men, that they cannot accept rejection?

Recommend 0

illawarrior

Oct 24, 2015 06:49am

His actions showed she was right to refuse. Who would want to marry a man who is capable of such violence?

Recommend 0

illawarrior

Oct 24, 2015 06:51am

@babar Marriage is quite a different situation to that of a lover, and different selection criteria might well apply.