A woman who was unlawfully confined and chained to a bed in Karachi’s Darakhshan area was rescued by police on Saturday, according to a senior police official.

Deputy Inspector General (DIG) South Syed Asad Raza told Dawn that police received a call about a woman unlawfully confined and bound with chains in a third-floor flat in Darakhshan Commercial Area. The station house officer Darakhshan immediately reached the scene.

The flat was found locked from the inside, with police breaking the lock and entering in the presence of neighbours, the DIG said.

“Inside the bedroom, a woman was found with iron chains tied around her neck, hands and feet. The chains were cut with power tools and the woman was freed,” he added.

The victim, a resident of Shireen Jinnah Colony, alleged that her ex-husband called her to the flat under the pretext of giving her money for their children.

When she arrived at about 9am, her ex-husband and his friend allegedly confined her in the bedroom and chained her to the bed. She further stated that she managed to break the bed to get free, escaped to the balcony and raised a hue and cry to draw attention. Neighbours alerted police on the Madadgar-15 helpline.

DIG added that the victim was taken to Darakhshan police station for further legal action, while police registered a first information report under Sections 337A(1) (punishment of assault to the head or face), 342 (punishment for wrongful confinement) and 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modest) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC), read with 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) PPC.

In December 2024, a young nurse in Karachi was rescued by police from the alleged wrongful confinement by her paternal family, who had shaved her head as a punishment for wanting to marry of her own free will.