Woman thrown off roof by 'father-in-law' in Lahore

In a tragic incident of gender-based violence, a woman was thrown off a roof by her father-in-law in Shad Bagh area of Lahore, it emerged on Saturday.

The victim was identified as 24-year-old Laiba. Police reported that the victim was admitted to Kot Khawaja Saeed Hospital. She is in a critical condition.

The police registered a First Information Report (FIR) against the accused on a complaint of the victim's father. 

According to the FIR, Laiba was married six years ago to Bilal Khan, who is reportedly addicted to drugs and, along with his father, had been subjecting her to ongoing abuse.

The complaint also included allegations of sexual assault by the father-in-law.

Following the incident, police immediately apprehended the victim's father-in-law, Umar Daraz. 

Efforts are underway to arrest other individuals involved in the violence against the young woman.

Recently, Punjab police reported to the Senate Committee on Human Rights that more than 10,201 cases of domestic violence against women were reported in the province in 2023 alone.

There was a 12% increase in domestic violence cases in 2023 compared to 2022. 

While the government is implementing stricter laws against gender-based violence, 2024 appears to offer no meaningful progress from previous years.