A man suspected of cutting off his former wife's tongue and grievously assaulting her was arrested in the Pindi Bhattian tehsil of Hafizabad district on Saturday, a day after he allegedly committed the crime.

On Friday, a first information report (FIR) had been registered at the Saddar police station against the suspect, a man named Jehangir, on the complaint of the victim's father for allegedly cutting his daughters tongue off and subjecting her to grievous torture in the Mustafabad village of the area.

According to the victim's father, the reason for the incident was that the suspect had verbally divorced her a few days ago. He said that the suspect had now wanted to murder his daughter, which was why he had come to his house and assaulted her.

As per the FIR, the father had gone out to cut grass on the fields while his wife and daughter were at home when the suspect entered the house and took his daughter hostage in a room, which he then locked. He said the suspect had the used sharp scissors to cut off the victim's tongue.

According to the father's account in the FIR, the suspect continued to kick and punch the victim after maiming her. He added that the suspect had also used the scissors to disfigure her hands and face.

He said that when his wife cried out, people from the area arrived at the scene. Along with others from the village and witnesses, he broke the roof of the room and entered it, after which he broke the lock on the door and took his daughter out.

The victim's father added that if people from the area had not reached the site, the suspect and his accomplices — three unknown persons riding a motorcycle who were waiting outside — would have killed his daughter.

The victim was subsequently shifted to a hospital.

Hafizabad District Police Officer (DPO) Sajid Kiani confirmed to DawnNewsTV that the suspect had been arrested and a pair of scissors was also recovered from his possession.

The incident has come to light days after a woman in Lahore said her husband and his employees allegedly stripped her naked, beat her, and shaved her head over her refusal to dance for them. Separately, a man in Peshawar allegedly cut off his wife's hair and subjected her to physical torture after accusing her of not covering her head during a wedding ceremony.

Pakistan ranks 150 out of 153 countries on The Georgetown Institute's Women, Peace and Security index ─ among the five worst countries for women in the world. According to 2016 data, 26.8 per cent of Pakistani women said they have experienced intimate partner violence.