Attacks on women by unidentified assailant in Sahiwal have been increasing with the passage of time as an elderly woman was killed with sharp weapon in Bilal colony here on Monday. After the incident of knife attacks on lonely woman in Sahiwal, it was second incident in which an elderly victim suffered deadly blows of a sharp weapon in the city in Punjab province.
Khursheed Bibi, 65, a resident of Tariq Bin Ziyad Colony had gone to Bilal Colony to meet her relatives. As she left the rickshaw, a motorbike riding youth, who had worn a black cap, hit the woman with his bike and than attacked her with a sharp weapon seriously injuring her, eyewitnesses said. The people at the crime scene tried to capture the attacker who successfully escaped from the spot. The victim was taken to a hospital where she succumbed to her injuries. Earlier, another woman was injured by an attacker with a sharp knife in Tariq Bin Ziyad Colony of Sahiwal.
During the last one month several women were injured in knife attacks when they left their homes alone to visit markets or some other place. According to reports at least six women were attacked during one week in Farid Town, Scheme No 3, Bilal Colony and Moakal Colony areas of Sahiwal. According to locals, a motorcyclist intercepted women and stabbed them with a sharp-edged weapon. In most cases, those attacked were housewives. The attacks spread fear and panic in the city, especially the working women, the students, regular walkers and those who have to frequently visit markets for buying grocery and shopping alone. The local people claimed that the attacks with sharp-edged weapons against women are common in tehsil Cheechawatani of Sahiwal district for the last two years and hundreds of victims have suffered wounds from these attacks. But police failed to catch the attackers.