SAHIWAL: The Saddar police on Monday registered a case against a kiln owner and his assistant on charges of torturing and killing a woman worker at their kiln at Dhako Chishti village on the outskirts of the Pakpattan city.

The victim was identified as Naseem Bibi, wife of Yaqoob Sheikh.

Yaqoob told the police Naseem and he were employed at the Zareef’s kiln for the last five years. About a week ago, Naseem demanded Zareef pay her Rs5,000 from her earned salary for medical treatment but Zareef did not accept the request.

Four days back, Naseem exchanged harsh words with Zareef who, along with his accounts assistant, Muhammad Saleem, locked her in one of huts.

Yaqoob alleged the suspects tortured Naseem for four days. He kept requesting them to let his wife go but in vain. On Sunday, Naseem fainted due to the torture and Zareef left her in Yaqoob’s hut where he found her body when he reached there. Both the suspects escaped from the kiln.

After the incident, more than 50 kiln workers along with Yaqoob blocked the Pakpattan bypass road for three hours by placing deceased’s body on the road.

Luqman, homicide officer, quoting the doctor of the Pakpattan District Headquarters Hospital who conducted the post-mortem on Naseem’s body, said there were no marks of torture on it. However, the post-mortem report has not been released yet.

Saddar police registered a murder case against Zareef and Saleem.

Anjum Matto, executive director of the Insan Dost Association; an organisation working for kiln workers, told Dawn Naseem was not registered with the labour department and a social security card was not issued to her. He said had she been registered with social security, she would not have needed money for her treatment.

Published in Dawn, May 22nd, 2018