LAHORE, July 7: Narrating her ordeal, the acid attack victim from Layyah, Zareena, says she was married to Ramzan in exchange for his (Ramzan’s) sister’s marriage with her father Rasheed, 45, two years ago.
Watta satta or marriage in exchange is a social custom common in rural and feudal systems in the country.
Zareena’s aunt Zawar Bibi told Dawn on Sunday that her (Zareena’s) Sati clan had this custom.
Zareena, 18, and her six-month-old daughter Zunaira suffered an acid attack carried out allegedly by neighbour Nazar. She was brought to Lahore and admitted to the Intensive Care Unit of the Mayo Hospital. The incident took place in a remote village in Kot Shahabuddin in Layyah.
Zareena sustained 26 per cent acid burns and her suckling nine per cent. The infant is being treated at the children ward of the hospital.
Quoting a report, the DMS emergency ward said the victim had lost an eye. “At the moment we are unable to say anything about the other eye,” he said, adding the most important thing at this stage was to save her life. He said her daughter was out of danger.
Zareena said Nazar used to visit her in-laws frequently. She said he bothered her too much and she was upset over this. Though she said he remained in the limits. She said she tried to bar him from making frequent visits but to no avail. She said her in-laws had to complain to his family and his father gave him a sound thrashing.
Nazar took it ill and threw acid on Zareen when was asleep in the courtyard. Her daughter was with her and she too suffered the attack. Her husband Ramzan, 22, was also asleep close by and woke up to his wife’s cries. He saw Nazar fleeing the house.
Zareena said her father had earlier married off her elder sister to a man in exchange for his (man’s) sister Nasreen.
Nasreen was not happy with her father and she got divorce, Zareena said. Her sister was divorced in return.
Rasheed wanted to remarry. First he tried to marry his divorced daughter, but nobody came for her. Then he decided to marry Zareena when she was a class eight student.
Zareena was a brilliant student and she stood first in class six and seven. She wanted to continue her studies but her father did not pay heed to her quest for education.