KARACHI: A Baldia Town resident threw acid on his ex-wife for reportedly posting videos on TikTok, the Saeedabad police confirmed Saturday.
The man attacked the woman near Kabari Chowk’s Sector 9.
The woman, identified as Rimsha, was moved to a private healthcare facility and then referred to Dr Ruth KM Pfau Civil Hospital for treatment.
Dr Ehmer Al-Ibran, who is heading the Burns Centre at CHK, said that the woman’s upper torso has been 36% burned.
The woman’s family said that she worked at the city courts and was associated with a law firm. She also used to post videos on TikTok in her free time.
Briefing the journalists outside Burns Centre, the victim’s mother accused Rimsha’s ex-husband, identified as Zeeshan, of throwing acid on her.
She said that Rimsha had left the house to go to work in the morning. After some time, Rimsha called her to say that Zeeshan has attacked her. The two had tied the knot two years ago but Zeeshan then divorced her.
“Even after Zeeshan had divorced Rimsha, he used to stop her from going to work and even forced her to go with him to his house,” she added.
Zeeshan and Rimsha had shot many TikTok videos together but he wanted her to stop using the app after their marriage. This led to constant arguments and disagreements between them.
Baldia Town Superintendent of Police Faizan Ali said that the couple had parted ways in February this year. He shared that Rimsha’s family had contacted the Saeedabad police a few months ago after Zeeshan was forcibly trying to take Rimsha to his house.
The police called both the families and listened to their concerns. Zeeshan’s father had even submitted a written surety that his son will not force Rimsha to live with him forcefully.
When asked if Rimsha was attacked for filming TikTok videos, the SP replied that he doesn’t know, adding that “it is yet to be ascertained that why Zeeshan attacked her.”
The police are conducting raids to arrest the suspect, the SP said.
Sindh Governor Imran Ismail condemned the acid attack. He asked for a detailed report on it from Karachi Addl IGP and ordered the suspect’s arrest.
He directed the authorities to ensure that the survivor receives the best medical care.
According to the Acid Survivors Foundation, Pakistan, the total number of acid attacks victims from 2007 to 2018 was 1,186. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan says that 31 acid attacks were reported in 2017, a whopping 67 in 2018 and 34 in 2019. But those are just the cases that have been reported.
These attacks are not new to our society, yet they continue despite a ban on the public sale and purchase of acid.
Under Section 144 of the Pakistan Penal Code, public dealing of acid and other corrosive substances is banned. Offenders are punishable under Section 336(B) of the PPC, which has maximum life imprisonment. The minimum is not less than 14 years with a fine of Rs1 million.
If you or anyone you know is a survivor of domestic violence, then you can contact the following organizations.
Ministry of Human Rights-1099 (You can even download its app Helpline 1099)
Madadgar-1098
Punjab Women’s Toll-Free Helpline-1043
Rozan counseling helpline-03041111741
Dastak Foundation-03334161610
Bedari-03005251717
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