The police in Pakistan have arrested two teenage sisters for the murder of their father. The sisters allegedly set their father on fire in retaliation for years of sexual abuse.
The incident occurred in the city of Gujranwala on 1st January. Their father succumbed to his injuries in hospital on Tuesday, 7th January, of this week.
Rizwan Tariq, a senior police official in the city, told reporters that, “The girls stated that they had decided amongst themselves to find a ‘permanent solution’.”
Tariq further explained that the sisters used petrol from a motorcycle to set their father alight while he was asleep.
He also revealed that the sisters disclosed that their father had been raping their eldest sister for a year and had also attempted to assault the younger sibling on two occasions.
He added that their mothers, both married to the man, were aware of the abuse but were not informed of the sisters’ plan for revenge.
The man’s name has not been disclosed to protect the identities of the girls, who have different mothers.
Police have detained one of the mothers, while the other is still under investigation.
“We expect to present them before the court in a few days, as soon as we finish the investigation,” Tariq stated.
Domestic violence and family-related sexual abuse are prevalent in Pakistan, according to the United Nations, which has been funding programmes to educate households, particularly boys, about the importance of preventing violence against women.
