MUZAFFARGARH: Another victim of the Rohillanwali acid attack, 50-year-old Kalsoom Bibi, succumbed to her injuries on Saturday, raising the death toll from the incident to two.

The attack took place on Sept 20 in the Rohillanwali area of Muzaffargarh. Kalsoom Bibi, her daughter Sawera Bibi (20), and Sania Bibi (6) were severely injured when acid was thrown on them while sleeping in their home. Sawera Bibi passed away earlier this week.

The police arrested the main suspects, Muhammed Imran and Irfan, sons of Bashir Ahmad, the day after the attack.

According to the FIR, the suspects, along with accomplices, entered Kalsoom Bibi’s house in the middle of the night and threw acid on her and her family. The incident took place in Mauza Binda Ishaq, located about 30 kilometres from the city centre.

Neighbours contacted the police and rescue officials, who arrived at the scene and shifted the victims to the burn unit for treatment. Despite the doctors’ efforts, both Kalsoom and Sawera succumbed to their injuries.

A case has been registered under Section 336B and 302 of the Pakistan Penal Code.

District Police Officer Syed Hasnain Haider confirmed that all suspects had been arrested, and the section for murder (302) was added to the case after the victims’ deaths.

Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz took notice of the incident, directing the inspector general of police to ensure swift action and submit a report.

rescued: The Muzaffargarh police rescued a kidnapped physically-challenged boy from Gujrat on Saturday, a police spokesperson said.

Muhammad Rehman was abducted two months ago from the Shahjamal police jurisdiction. A case had been registered against unidentified people at the time. During investigation, a call to the police helpline 15 in Gujrat provided a lead, revealing that a woman had taken the boy to the district.

The Shahjamal police tracked down and rescued Rehman from the custody of Kalima Bibi. The woman had been exploiting the boy’s disability, forcing him to beg.

The suspect was arrested and sent to jail, while the boy was safely reunited with his family.

Published in Dawn, October 13th, 2024