LAHORE: A man was arrested on Monday for throwing acid at her ex-wife in Multan on March 1.

The attack survivor, identified as Misbah Aftab, of Green Town, was at home when she heard someone knocking on the door.

As she opened the door, her former husband Qari Shaukat with Suleman and Ahmad was standing outside. They hurled a plastic bag filled with acid at her and fled.

Misbah suffered burns on her abdomen and hands and was rushed to hospital.

She told the police that Shaukat had divorced her a few months ago and had been harassing her ever since. She said he had threatened to kill her if she did not reconcile with him.

The police registered a case against the three suspects under the Acid Control and Acid Crime Prevention Act 2011 and launched an investigation.

Multan City Police Officer (CPO) Sadiq Dogar formed a team to arrest the culprits.

On Monday afternoon, the police team nabbed Shaukat from outside the district courts, where he had come to attend a hearing in another case.

The CPO said the police were conducting raids to arrest the other two suspects and assured that the victim would get justice.

Acid attacks are a form of violence against women that are prevalent in Pakistan, where perpetrators often escape punishment due to weak laws and social stigma.

According to the Acid Survivors Foundation, a non-government organisation that works for the rehabilitation of acid attack victims, there were 96 reported cases of acid attacks in Pakistan in 2020, of which 67 involved women.

Published in Dawn, March 5th, 2024