Current Final

Tag: domestic violence

  • Couple accused of burning teenage maid with electric iron granted bail

    Couple accused of burning teenage maid with electric iron granted bail

    A judicial magistrate in Karachi has granted bail to a couple accused of brutally burning their teenage maid with an electric iron.

    The suspects, identified as Shahroz Muhammad Ali and his wife Kanwal, were taken into custody by Ferozabad police on Sunday after being booked under Sections 328-A (child cruelty) and 337-A (i) (shajjah) of the Pakistan Penal Code, along with Section 14-(1) of the Sindh Prohibition of Employment of Children Act, 2017. The law prohibits employing children and carries a punishment of up to six months in prison, a fine of Rs50,000, or both.

    The couple appeared before Judicial Magistrate (East) Hameedullah on Monday. Their lawyer argued that the charges were bailable, despite the investigating officer’s request for physical remand.

    In the end, the court granted their bail in exchange for a personal bond and a surety bond of Rs 30,000 each. The two were released after fulfilling the conditions.

    The 13-year-old girl from the Ferozabad police station’s jurisdiction was taken to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) on Sunday night, according to police surgeon Dr. Summaiya Syed. She had multiple burn marks in different stages of healing across her body. Although stable, she was referred for further treatment.


    The victim’s mother Aasiya filed the FIR after claiming that she had sent her daughter to work as domestic help at the couple’s apartment in PECHS Block 2 three months earlier.

    On August 31, Kanwal called Aasiya, claiming the girl was unwell and should be taken back. However, when Aasiya reached the residence, her daughter revealed she had been deliberately burnt with an electric iron.

    The girl alleged that two days prior, on August 29, while ironing Kanwal’s clothes, her dupatta accidentally caught fire. 

    In anger, Kanwal pressed the hot iron on her body despite her pleas for forgiveness. She further claimed that Shahroz also physically assaulted her.

  • Karachi man tries to kill woman after she rejects his marriage proposal

    Karachi man tries to kill woman after she rejects his marriage proposal

    A man was arrested in Karachi’s Ittehad Town for allegedly trying to kill a woman after she rejected his marriage proposal.

    According to the police, the suspect fired at the woman, who escaped the attack unharmed. A case was filed at the Ittehad Town Police Station under sections 324 for “attempted murder” and 34  for “common intention” of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).

    After receiving a tip-off, a police team under the authority of Station House Officer Inspector Rao Shabbir Ahmed arrested the suspect and seized illegal firearms, with another case filed under section 23(1)-A of the Arms Act.

    According to authorities, the man has a history of violence. He was charged with trying to kill his ex-wife by throwing acid on her in 2021. The case was registered at Saeedabad Police Station under PPC sections 336-A and 336-B.

    He was also linked to another firing incident in Ittehad Town in which he attacked a person with unidentified accomplices. The case included PPC sections 337-(i)H, 324, 109, and 34.

    Violence against women has seen a significant rise in recent years, prompting the Sindh High Court to criticise police for not taking such cases seriously.

    Earlier this year, a young woman was shot dead in a deliberate assault in Orangi Town in January, while a man was detained outside Karachi’s Malir Court on suspicion of killing his wife.

  • 47 per cent Pakistani women face domestic violence: Report

    47 per cent Pakistani women face domestic violence: Report

    The National Commission for Human Rights has issued a report revealing that a large number of women in Pakistan are victims of domestic violence.

    According to the evaluation, 47 per cent of Pakistani women face domestic violence, and this cycle continues even after marriage, which often ends in divorce.

  • Ayesha Jahanzeb reportedly assaulted by husband

    Ayesha Jahanzeb reportedly assaulted by husband

    Television host Ayesha Jahanzeb has accused her husband, Haris Ali, of assaulting her in what is fast becoming a high-profile case of domestic violence.

    Police arrested Haris, after which he was released by the police in Lahore’s Cantt court.


    The judicial magistrate granted a two-day physical remand, handing Haris over to the police for further investigation.


    Ayesha Jahanzeb had registered a case against her husband in which she accused him of perpetrating domestic violence upon her. She stated in the FIR that since January this year, her husband, whom she married in 2015, had started beating her and their children, but she did not raise noise for the sake of maintaining the sanctity of their relationship. Haris is always suspicious and has beaten her many times since the first incident, she said in her statement.


    He also beat her on the June 24 last month, “dragging her by her hair and beating her with kicks and punches’, causing injuries, according to the FIR.


    UrduNews revealed details of the FIR in their report: Ayesha’s husband beat her once again on July 8 in the afternoon, dragged her to the gate took out pistols and pointed them at her shoulders.


    She has also submitted photographs to the police station which show her with lacerations and bruises on the face.

    Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has asked for a report from the Inspector General Punjab Police, Dr Usman Anwer.
    She also issued a directive to provide best medical facilities to Ayesha.

  • COMSATS director accused of domestic abuse by wife

    COMSATS director accused of domestic abuse by wife

    COMSATS director Dr. Syed Asad Hussain has been accused by his wife of subjecting her to abuse in front of their children.

    CCTV footage available with The Current shows that Asad Hussain, in a fit of fury, pushed his wife. Eventually, their children came out and tried to shield their mother. While the professor did not hold back, the children made an effort to bring the mother inside and expel their father from the gate.

    COMSATS website explains that Dr. Asad Hussain is the Director, having studied at Cardiff University and postgraduate University of Sydney Australia in 2010.

    In the First Investigation Report (FIR) registered with the police of an upscale housing society in Lahore, the victim states that in 20 years of marriage, her husband has allegedly physically abused her multiple times and has threatened her with divorce. However, she kept silent because of her three children.

    On April 3, the husband started cursing her in front of the front gate of the house and pushed her in the car which the children witnessed from the terrace and rushed to help their mother. He again threatened to kick her out of the house or kill her. The children and victim took a stand and told him that the house is theirs. They eventually push him out of the main gate.

    FIR states that while the children and mother tried to reconcile, Dr. Asad misbehaved and hurled abuses at them in front of the extended family. Thus, the victim requested the police to provide her with security as this has put her life at risk.

    The Current has confirmed with ASI Adil Kamran of the police station where the FIR was registered yet no action has taken place till the time the story is being published.

  • Domestic violence victim Rizwana admitted to hospital again

    Domestic violence victim Rizwana admitted to hospital again

    The child victim of abuse at the hands of her employers, Rizwana has been admitted to Lahore General Hospital again.

    According to the General Hospital administration, Rizwana, a minor and a victim of domestic violence, was discharged after recovering a few months ago.

    Three weeks ago, however, Rizwana was again brought to the hospital due to pain in her arm. The doctors admitted her after examination.

    According to hospital administration, a surgery will be performed on the girls’ arm.

    Last year, in July, it was revealed that Rizwana, a young girl working at the house of a civil judge in Islamabad, was subjected to assault by her employers. The torture continued and when her condition worsened, the civil judge’s wife handed her over to her mother.

    Rizwana had torture marks all over her body. A wound on her head had rotted due to lack of treatment, becoming infected by worms.

  • Somia Asim charged in Rizwana torture case

    Somia Asim charged in Rizwana torture case

    The district and sessions court Islamabad has on Friday indicted Somia Asim, wife of Civil Judge Asim Hafeez, in the Rizwana torture case.

    The case was heard by civil judge Umar Shabbir. Rizwana’s mother and the suspect Somia Asim appeared in the court with their respective lawyers.

    During the hearing, the court read out the indictment while Somia Asim denied the crime.

    The court has formally started the trial against Somia and adjourned the hearing of the case till March 20, calling the witnesses to record their statements at the next hearing.

    Somia Asim is accused of torturing the young domestic maid Rizwana.

    Case

    Rizwana had been allegedly tortured and abused while working at a civil judge’s home in Islamabad, after she was accused of stealing jewellery. Rizwana’s family revealed that the girl was not paid a single penny by the family for the extensive workload she was doing and was instead subjected to violence.

  • Nomaika Mehak Case: Will Ashfaq Satti be held accountable for attempted murder?

    Nomaika Mehak Case: Will Ashfaq Satti be held accountable for attempted murder?

    All eyes are on the court in hopes that justice will be granted

    Ashfaq Ishaq Satti, a well-known television anchor on ARY News, is currently being investigated after his 27-year-old wife, Nomaika Mehak, revealed that he had been physically abusing her and threatened to kill her.

    Images shared on Nomaika’s Facebook post show severe bruises on her face and arm. Sources say that the entirety of her injuries — and the dark veracity of Satti’s barbarity trumping all bounds — has not been revealed to the public due to a sense of discomfort attached to sharing of sensitive details in a conservative society like ours.

    Lawyer and political activist, Jibran Nasir, who has taken up Nomaika Mehak’s case, says that the exact details of the nature of injuries cannot be shared because it is “up to Nomaika to share if she so pleases”. However, he shared that 13 visible injuries have been noted in the Medical Examination otherwise, whereas X-ray and ultrasound results are pending.

    Former anchorperson and entrepreneur Rabia Anum, who has been actively supporting Nomaika, shared on social media that Nomaika “continues to experience sleeplessness and intense pain”.

    What’s Next?

    According to Jibran Nasir, Ashfaq Satti has not been granted pre-arrest bail and is currently on an interim pre-arrest bail. His bail is set for February 12 for arguments when the judge will either confirm or dismiss the bail.

    On the other hand, the police has received the preliminary medical examination report, and has conducted site inspection and recorded statements of Nomaika and her family.

    “As a matter of principle, there should be no justification and no tolerance for violence against women. However, getting justice through courts is unfortunately a time-consuming and exhausting journey for any victim/survivor in this country. We will pursue the case to ensure a fair and transparent investigation and justice for our client,” states Nasir.

    “The first medical examination conducted at Abbasi Shaheed was tainted with mala fide. The woman medico-legal officer (WMLO) did not even bother looking at the injuries and only wrote down injuries she saw on Nomaika’s face and that too weren’t properly examined. After we were engaged as counsel, we moved an application with the Police Surgeons Office and got a detailed and proper examination of all injuries. We are thankful to the Police Surgeon Dr. Summaiya for her effective and prompt response to our application as required by the law in such cases.”

    Message to the Public

    Talking to The Current, Rabia Anum asserts that the public demanding ‘two sides of the story’ need to understand that “there are never two sides of the story when there is domestic violence”.

    “If a woman is crude or disrespectful, you have the choice to simply leave her. But you cannot ever kill her,” she adds. “Agar aurat buri hai tou uss se rishta khatam kerain, uss aurat ko nahin.”

    Anam further iterates that according to Nomaika, Satti tried to kill her. He strangled her, he choked her, he covered her face with the pillow and threatened to kill her and hide her body away.

    “The truth is that if people are given the actual details of the injuries, it will bring shivers down their spine,” added Rabia Anum.

    Background

    Ashfaq Ishaq Satti was lambasted on social media after his wife posted photos on Facebook depicting injuries on her face and body, allegedly inflicted on her by her husband. This also resulted in his suspension from ARY news where he has been a working as a tv anchor.

    In her account, 27-year-old Nomaika Mehak writes that she was almost beaten “to death” by her husband Ashfaque Ishaque Satti who “repeatedly” threatened to kill her and then hide her body. The pictures she uploaded show the extent of violence inflicted, including extensive bruising and swelling.

    After the post was publicly published, ARY news suspended News Anchor Ashfaque Ishaque Satti “with immediate effect till the law takes its course”.

  • ‘Threats will not intimidate me’; Rabia Anum slams anchor Ashfaq Satti for legal threat

    ‘Threats will not intimidate me’; Rabia Anum slams anchor Ashfaq Satti for legal threat

    Ashfaq Ishaq Satti has sent anchorperson Rabia Anum a legal notice of defamation following her open support for his wife, Nomaika Mehak, who has alleged that he beat her up while threatening to kill her.

    The Current reached out to Rabia Anum to talk about the matter.

    “These insignificant threats will not intimidate me,” she begun.

    “I’m speaking up for the victim who has 13 injuries on all her body parts and I will continue to speak about it until he presents himself in the court and stops hiding,” she said firmly.

    Background

    Ashfaq Ishaq Satti was lambasted on social media after his wife posted photos on Facebook depicting injuries on her face and body, allegedly inflicted on her by her husband. This also resulted in his suspension from ARY news where he has been a working as a tv anchor.

    According to Rabia Anum’s post on X (formerly Twitter), Nomaika Ashfaq Satti is 27-years-old.

    In her account, Nomaika writes that she was almost beaten “to death” by her husband Ashfaque Ishaque Satti who “repeatedly” threatened to kill her and then hide her body. The pictures she uploaded show the extent of violence inflicted, including extensive bruising and swelling.

  • After suspension from ARY for alleged attempted murder, Ashfaq Satti issues statement

    After suspension from ARY for alleged attempted murder, Ashfaq Satti issues statement

    In an Instagram video post, morning host Ashfaque Satti has defended himself after his wife alleged that he beat her up while threatening to kill her, which was followed by his dismissal from ARY news.

    “Every story has two sides. The police are investigating it, but no one should have a media trial,” he said.

    Background

    ARY news suspended News Anchor Ashfaque Ishaque Satti “with immediate effect till the law takes its course”.

    The development took place after Satti was lambasted on social media after his wife posted photos on Facebook depicting injuries on her face and body, allegedly inflicted on her by her husband.

    According to Rabia Anum’s post on X (formerly Twitter), Nomaika Mehak is 27-years-old.

    In her account, Nomaika writes that she was almost beaten “to death” by her husband Ashfaque Ishaque Satti who “repeatedly” threatened to kill her and then hide her body. The pictures she uploaded show the extent of violence inflicted, including extensive bruising and swelling.

    “He beat me for hours and then locked me in my room.
    He took away my son ( 1.5 years old).
    He left me in the dark room badly injured without food and water while I continuously begged for help.
    I begged for mercy.”, she added.

    Ashfaque Satti’s mother was also present in the house but did not help her.

    Nomaika got a medical check-up and filed an FIR against her husband after she managed to escape. The police, she said, initially “resisted” taking action because of Ashfaque Satti’s “continuous pressure on them and his influence in the media”.

    No further action, however, has been taken while Ashfaque Ishafque Satti “has just vanished,” writes Nomaika.