Man jailed for 46 years for throwing acid on ex-wife in Pakistan

Lahore: A jealous Pakistani man has been sentenced to 46 years in jail and fined two million rupees by an anti-terrorism court for throwing acid on his ex-wife, leaving her visually impaired with one eye.

Mirza Azeem Baig of Sherakot, a densely populated area of the city, was handed down the sentence by the anti-terrorism court, Lahore on Sunday. The court also imposed a fine of two million Pakistani rupees on him.

According to the FIR, Baig suspected that his wife Noreen had relations with a man in his locality. The couple often picked heated arguments over the same.

In August last year, Baig divorced Noreen following a quarrel. The couple had three daughters. 

In November last year, when Noreen was going to drop her daughters to a nearby school, Baig hurled acid on her face. The acid also hurt the arms of the eldest daughter who was seven years old. "Baig had threatened me that if he could not have me then no one else would either," Noreen said who lost his one eye in the incident. Baig's in-laws got a case lodged against him, leading to his arrest.

There has been a rise in acid attack cases in the country. Statistics compiled by an NGO Aurat Foundation said from January to September last year, about 43 cases of acid attacks reported in Punjab province only. 51 women and eight men were targeted.

It says 65 per cent of acid and burn victims were women and girls, and 15 per cent children. 80 per cent of the survivors earned less than 8,000 Pakistani rupees per month. The report further said the prosecution rate was only 35 per cent due to complications in the investigation and trial stages. Out-of-court settlements add to the problems of victims.