Desperate wife attempts to torch herself

NAWABSHAH, Sept 20: A woman sustained severe burns when she attempted to commit self-immolation in the course of a demonstration outside the press club on Saturday in protest against police’s failure to arrest people involved in an attack on her policeman husband.

Ms Hanifa, 40, her injured husband Abdullah Magsi who is a constable posted at A-Section police station, children and other relatives held the demonstration.

She told journalists before attempting to commit suicide that her husband was attacked with axes by some men of her tribe when he was performing duty at a police check-post in Taj Colony a few days ago.

She said that when she wanted to lodge a case police bluntly refused to provide any legal help and register the case or even bother to listen to her.

She then moved the court, which ordered police to register the case but the investigation police did not arrest any of the nominated accused and demanded huge bribe for making the arrest.

Saying she was very poor, had lost all hope and did not want to live, she doused herself in kerosene oil and torched herself before anybody could stop her. A number of journalists rushed to move her to Nawabshah Medical College Hospital where she was admitted to surgical unit-III.

Doctors told that almost 60-70 per cent of the patient’s had serious burns and her condition was critical.

Acting District Nazim Abdul Haq Jamali took serious notice of the incident and directed the police to immediately arrest the culprits nominated in the FIR.
Source: Dawn
Date:9/21/2008