LAHORE, June 15: A man set himself on fire in front of the Punjab Governor’s House on The Mall on Wednesday. Quoting witnesses, police said Muhammad Asghar, 45, of Shujabad, Multan, appeared in front of the Governor House, and doused himself with kerosene oil and set himself alight. His screams forced motorists to stop as he ran from one side of the road to the other.

Some motorists called out police who put out the fire and rushed the injured man to the Mayo Hospital. By that time, the man had suffered over 80 per cent burns. Doctors described his condition as critical.

Quoting the victim, a police officer said he had been worried about delay in the processing of a kidnap case he had filed against a police constable.

His wife had married him after getting divorce from the policeman, Asghar Shah. She spent six years with him, and allegedly developed relations with her former husband and eloped with the latter a few months ago, the police officer. However, the man got a kidnap case registered against the policeman.

The victim told reporters in the hospital that he had done his best to make senior officers concerned listen to him, but to no avail. “I have been running from pillar to post to seek justice, but what I got in return was only insult, humiliation and disappointment. I was left with no option but to kill myself.”

He said the pain from the burns was nothing compared to his ordeal.

The civil lines police have registered a case against the man on charges of attempt to kill himself.