A woman who was allegedly beaten up at her home in Lahore at the behest of her daughter and son-in-law over a property dispute has demanded that Prime Minister Imran Khan and Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar provide her justice.
The incident had made headlines after CCTV footage of the assault was circulated widely on social media platforms on Thursday.
The video seemed to show a victim being subjected to assault by unidentified people. It also showed a young woman pointing a finger and pushing a young man when he tried to intervene to stop the assault.
The alleged victim, in a recent video, has narrated her ordeal, saying that her daughter and son-in-law, with the help of a local land grabber, have been intimidating her into giving them more than their lawful share in a property dispute.
According to the victim, Fauzia Haroon, she is the widow of an assassinated minorities minister. She alleges that one of her two daughters, Hina, her son-in-law, Samuel, and a land grabber, Amir Ali, have been harassing, abusing and terrorising her because of a dispute over her house in Lahore, which she (the victim) claims to have inherited from her slain husband.
Fauzia says that her son-in-law once came to her house to ‘mark’ his wife’s share of the property, prompting her to call the police for intervention. She said she subsequently filed a property case against the couple.
“They have been abusing me despite the legal proceedings. I have a whole record of complaints to police. I used to call 15 [the emergency contact number]. I registered my complaints online, but to no avail.”
Talking about the incident, she said, “Last Sunday [March 31], I was alone at home. They came in the morning and started abusing me. They are barred by a stay order [preventing them from going] to the first floor, so I sat inside along with my servants. Then Amir Gujjar [the alleged land grabber] came in and started threatening me. I never thought it could get so serious.”
“On that day, Gujjar tortured me after he moved the CCTV cameras to the roof. Later, when I was sitting inside with my servants, they hit the main door and later came in through the roof. First, my daughter came up from the staircase and she pulled my hair and pushed me to Gujjar, who also has a previous criminal record. He pushed me on the floor so hard that my arm broke.”
“Before leaving, they threatened me saying we are just going to finish you off if you do not transfer this house to us,” she said, adding that they had also warned her domestic employees against recording witness statements in her favour.
She said her daughter and son-in-law have already snatched her jewellery, her Honda Civic car and other valuables. She added that she has approached the police several times, but officials never pay heed to her.
“A court has also ordered the police to bring me my car back, but no one listens to me,” she alleged.
“My husband has already been killed. I, too, will be killed. What is going to happen then? Everyone will feel sorry and that will be it.”
Fauzia also said she is convinced that she will not get justice from the police. She asked the premier and the chief minister to help her “before it is too late”.
On April 4, police had registered a First Information Report, but all three of the main suspects in the case remain at large.
Police claim that one other suspect, Naeem, has been arrested, whereas the remaining suspects will be arrested soon.
Police informed our correspondent that one of the suspects, Amir, claims to be the son of MPA Ilyas Gujjar.
