Man arrested for chopping off wife’s nose, lips, cheeks | Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF)

Pakistan Press Foundation

Man arrested for chopping off wife’s nose, lips, cheeks

By Kashif Zafar

VEHARI: Police officials have arrested an accused who cut off his wife’s nose, lips and cheeks after she refused to dance on stage on Monday afternoon.

According to police officials, Old Hasilpur resident Khalida Parveen told police officials that her daughter had been punished because she refused to dance on stage in a public theatre. Parveen’s daughter Gulshan married Abbas Hashmi nearly nine months ago.

Abbas worked as an actor in a theatre and constantly pestered his wife to perform on stage and for private functions.

“She refused him again and again but when he kept pushing she left to go to her mother’s house,” said a neighbour. Gulshan’s neighbours told police officials that Abbas beat her severely after she refused to perform on stage with him several times. “She was beaten repeatedly until she left,” said Safia Bibi. A couple of weeks ago, Gulshan left Abbas and went to her mother’s house in a nearby village.

Four days ago, Abbas followed her to Parveen’s house and insisted that she return home. “He said that he would never ask her to dance on stage again and that he would respect her wishes. He promised me as well and then my daughter agreed to return home with him,” Parveen told police.

However, when Gulshan returned Abbas began pressing for her to dance on stage once again.

When she refused and threatened to seek a divorce if he kept asking her he attacked her with a knife. Abbas cut off Gulshan’s nose, lips and cheeks and fled the scene on Sunday night.

“We heard her screaming and when we found her she was bleeding profusely,” said neighbour Asad, who took Gulshan to the hospital.

According to doctors at Nishtar Hospital, Gulshan’s condition was stable but she had suffered deep cuts to her face and the rest of her body. “We have sent her to Lahore for treatment because she will eventually need plastic surgery,” said Dr Muneeb. Gulshan was brought to Lahore via ambulance on orders of provincial parliamentary Health Secretary Dr Saeed Elahi.

“She has been examined and her wounds have begun healing so we cannot perform plastic surgery immediately but when she recovers a bit we will reassess our options,” he said.

Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif took notice of the incident when the media carried reports of the mutilation on Sunday night.

Police officials arrested Abbas Hashmi from near the Sialkot border on Monday afternoon and Police Station Ludan Investigation Officer (ASI) Mohammad Hanif said that a case had been registered against the accused. Hanif told The Express Tribune that Abbas had confessed to the crime.

“He said that his wife had been having an affair and that is why he attacked her. When we questioned him about the dancing he said ‘why should she be shy about dancing when she has no shame about anything else’,” he said. Police officials said that they were still investigating the case and were interviewing Gulshan’s neighbours and relatives in this regard.

Police officials have registered an FIR 517/11-324/337A2, 337F2, 337A1, 337F1 against Abbas and have started an investigation into the incident.
Source: The Express Tribune
Date:10/25/2011