Suspect in Gizri acid attack case arrested in Punjab: police

A suspect who allegedly attacked a woman with acid in Karachi’s Upper Gizri area recently has been arrested, South Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Syed Asad Raza said on Saturday.

A 35-year-old woman suffered burns when a man threw acid on her on Thursday. She was moved to the Burns Centre at Dr Ruth Pfau Civil Hospital Karachi in an Edhi ambulance for treatment.

The senior police official said the suspect had fled to his native Rajanpur in Punjab, where he was apprehended with the help of Sindh Police.

DIG Raza added that he had written to the Karachi additional inspector general of police to approach the Sindh Home Department for permission to send a police team to Rajanpur and bring the suspect back to Karachi.

Police Surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed earlier told Dawn that the victim suffered burns over 15 per cent of her body, affecting her face, neck and abdomen.

The victim worked at a bungalow in Clifton and was returning home when the suspect attacked her.

Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar had taken notice of the incident and had sought an immediate and had directed police to use all available resources to ensure the immediate arrest of the suspect and take legal action to bring him to justice.

The Supreme Court in June this year declared acid attacks more heinous than homicide, describing them as crimes that condemn victims to a “living death”.