BAHAWALNAGAR: The district police claim to have recovered a woman who had been chained up in a room for around 12 years and arrested her father and a brother and booked six others of the same family for imprisoning the woman in McLeod Ganj.

Officials of the DPO office told Dawn that 32-year-old Hasna Bibi of Prabhatiwala village ran away from home 12 years ago and contracted court marriage with a young man of another caste.

However, due to her parents’ pressure, Hasna returned home a week after the wedding and was later forcibly divorced by the community using their influence.

Police sources claimed that Hasna’s family locked her in a tiny room within their home with no bathroom. They claimed that the woman was bound with iron chains for many years, with the door closed from outside.

Father, brother arrested

Her shackles were taken off after the family realised that her health had deteriorated to the point that she could hardly move. However, she was still not permitted to leave the room, use the restroom, or speak with anybody in the home, police claimed.

Officials said that this went on for 12 years until on June 4, the Bahawalnagar DPO constituted a special women police unit following a tip-off. They initially investigated the residence disguised as broom sellers and after confirming the woman’s imprisonment, raided it along with a male police squad, and safely rescued her.

According to police sources, for 12 years the woman was neither given proper food nor was she allowed to bathe, go to the toilet or even change her clothes.

They said the condition of the woman was critical and she could not even move on her own. She had been admitted to the DHQ Hospital, where her treatment was ongoing.

Police spokesperson said a case had been registered with the McLeod Ganj Police against Hasna’s father Riaz, mother Khursheedan Bibi, brothers Tariq, Sajid, Asif and Tahir on the complaint of ASI Athar Mahmood. Her father and brother had been arrested, he added.

Published in Dawn, June 10th, 2026