Multan man throws acid on wife, children in domestic dispute – Pakistan

A man threw acid on his wife and two sons during a domestic dispute on Sunday in Multan’s Jalilabad district, according to a first information report (FIR) filed on Monday.

The FIR was filed on Monday morning by Farhan Ikhlaq, the brother of the victim, Khadija Bano, at the Jalilabad Police Station.

Ikhlaq said in the FIR that he was at his residence in Multan’s Jalilabad district at 8:45pm when his grandson informed him that someone had thrown acid on his sister Khadija Bano and her two sons.

He rushed to his sister’s house along with his brother, Nasir Iqbal. Upon reaching there, he saw that her face was burning and smoke was emitting from her hair because of the acid. The room was also filled with fumes.

A woman accompanying Khadija was pouring water on her, and both the women were in pain, the FIR said, adding that the woman helped change Khadija’s clothes, while Ikhlaq and his brother poured water on Khadija’s sons and changed their clothes.

The two sons told Ikhlaq that their stepfather, Muhammad Majid, threw acid on the three of them and fled the house. Ikhlaq called the police and Rescue 1122, who reached the site of the incident and transported the victims to the hospital for treatment.

“The accused often fought with my sister; he wants to go back to his first wife and wants to divorce my sister,” the FIR quoted Ikhlaq as saying. “That is why he threw acid on Khadija and her sons and committed this injustice. Legal action should be taken against him.”

Meanwhile, Rescue 1122 confirmed receiving a call at the control room about the incident, which took place near the Daulat Gate Imambargah. The Rescue 1122 Control Room dispatched rescue teams from nearby stations to the site of the incident.

“Parts of the woman’s face and head were affected by the attack,” Rescue 1122 said in a statement. “Rescue personnel reached the spot and provided first aid to the woman and then shifted her to Nishtar Hospital.”

According to the Pulitzer Centre, acid attacks in Pakistan have been a significant concern, predominantly affecting women. Between 2007 and 2018, there were 1,485 reported cases, with many incidents arising from personal disputes, rejected marriage proposals, or dowry disagreements.

In response, the National Assembly passed the Acid and Burn Crime Bill in May 2018, introducing stringent penalties, including life imprisonment and substantial fines. As of 2022, the legislative action contributed to a decline in acid attacks, with incidents decreasing by 50 per cent since 2014.

Despite the decline and the presence of laws, incidents continue to take place throughout the country.

In September last year, three women of a family suffered burns in an acid attack at Mauza Binda Ishaq in Rohillanwali police precincts. Just days later, a mother of two was hospitalised with acid burns she sustained at the hands of her ex-husband’s two brothers, apparently in revenge for seeking divorce from him.

In April 2024, a sessions court in Karachi sentenced a man who threw acid on his wife to 14 years of rigorous imprisonment. According to the charge sheet, the accused was a drug addict who had attacked his wife on suspicion of an extramarital affair.