–Sialkot’s Rizwan Gujjar torched Asma using petrol after she refused to renounce her faith and marry him

LAHORE: A Christian girl was set ablaze by a Muslim man in Sialkot for “refusing to renounce her faith and marry him”, Pakistan Today has learnt.

According to the girl’s father Yaqoob Masih, his 25-year-old daughter Asma used to work as a domestic help at the house of Saeeduz Zaman in Mohalla Pakpura area in Sialkot.

“On April 17, my son Maqsood and I went to Zaman’s house around to meet Asma and to inquire after the health of Zaman’s mother. We were sitting in a room when there was a knock on the front gate. Asma went out to see who had come when after some time we heard her screaming in pain. Zaman, Maqsood and I rushed outside to see what had happened and saw the accused Rizwan Gujjar fleeing from the scene while Asma was engulfed in flames,” Masih claimed in the FIR [First Information Report] registered with Sialkot’s Civil Lines Police.

Masih said that they took Asma to the Sialkot Civil Hospital where she told them that Gujjar had been forcing her for quite some time to marry him but she had turned down his proposal because she did not want to convert to Islam.

Talking to Pakistan Today, Masih said that he had retired from the Tehsil Municipal Authority Sialkot a few years ago and his 10 children were now providing livelihood for the family.

Sub-Inspector Muhammad Riaz of the Civil Lines police said that they had arrested Gujjar and he had confessed to his crime. “We have prepared the chargesheet and sent him to jail,” he added.

Meanwhile, Asma is currently being treated in the burns unit at Lahore’s Mayo Hospital where her condition is stated to be critical.

“Asma has suffered 80 per cent burn injuries on her face and body,” said Masih, demanding exemplary punishment for the accused.