MULTAN: A 17-year-old female cricketer reportedly committed suicide late Monday night, some 13 months after she and four other cricketers levelled harassment charges against top officials of the Multan Cricket Club.



Haleema Rafiq, a resident of Multan and a fast-bowler on the national women’s cricket team, drank acid used to sterilise toilets and lost consciousness on Monday. She was taken to Nishtar Hospital, where she breathed her last.



Haleema was buried on Tuesday and police officials said family members had declined a post-mortem. At the same time, the police said they would be an applicant in a case to conduct a postmortem, if necessary.



More than a year ago, Haleema and five other female cricketers accused officials of the Multan Cricket Club of sexual harassment. The cricketers told the media that the officials demanded sexual favours in exchange for selection in the team.



Published in The Express Tribune, July 16th, 2014.