An unidentified man allegedly attacked a woman with acid in Karachi’s Upper Gizri area, leaving her with burn injuries, police said on Thursday.
According to police, the incident took place near the Nasir Filter Plant within the jurisdiction of Clifton police station. The woman was returning home when the unidentified suspect allegedly threw acid at her.
She was shifted to the Burns Centre at Civil Hospital, Karachi, in an Edhi ambulance for medical treatment.
Police surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed said the woman had suffered burns to around 15 per cent of her face, neck and abdomen.
South Deputy Inspector General of Police Syed Asad Raza said the victim worked at a bungalow in Clifton. He added that her husband lived in Punjab with another wife, while her three sons also resided there with their father.
Police are attempting to obtain CCTV footage from the area to identify the attacker and determine the motive behind the assault, the DIG said.
Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar took “strict notice” of the incident and sought an immediate and detailed report from the South senior superintendent of police.
The home minister directed police to utilise all available resources to arrest the suspect and ensure that legal proceedings were initiated against those responsible.
Lanjar also ordered a detailed investigation to establish the circumstances and motive of the attack and identify anyone else who may have been involved.
He directed authorities to ensure that the victim received the best possible medical treatment and that all necessary legal and administrative assistance was provided to her and her family.
The minister stressed that a zero-tolerance policy should be adopted against serious crimes such as acid attacks and said no negligence or delay in apprehending the suspect would be tolerated. He also directed the South SSP to personally supervise the investigation and keep him informed of developments.
The incident comes months after a 29-year-old woman, Mahnoor Nasir, was seriously injured in an acid attack at Quetta Civil Hospital in June. Police later identified the alleged attacker as Humayun Shah, who was reportedly killed in an encounter while attempting to flee.
In August, the Supreme Court described acid attacks as more heinous than homicide, observing that such crimes can condemn victims to a “living death”.
