Karachi, Pakistan (BN24) – A 19-year-old girl in Karachi, Pakistan, is fighting for her life in a coma after she was allegedly sexually assaulted by her husband just days into their marriage, Pakistani police said Monday.
The young woman, who married on June 15, was brought to Karachi’s Civil Hospital after her condition rapidly deteriorated following repeated episodes of violence, authorities said. Police arrested the suspect, identified as Ashok, after the family filed a criminal complaint under sections of Pakistan’s Penal Code that cover rape and attempted murder.
“The victim, a 19-year-old from Lyari, is now in a coma,” said Dr. Summaiya Syed, Police Surgeon Karachi. “Her examination findings are consistent with sexual violence.”
Police said the assault began shortly after the wedding. According to the complaint, the woman endured severe injuries in a series of attacks that left her unconscious. Initially, she was taken to a neighborhood hospital by her in-laws, but her worsening condition prompted doctors to transfer her to the Civil Hospital’s intensive care unit.
Senior Superintendent of Police Arif Aziz said the suspect was detained immediately after the report was filed. “This brutal sexual assault is a grave and serious offence, and the police are treating it with the utmost urgency and priority to ensure the perpetrator is held accountable,” he said in a statement.
Dr. Syed noted that similar acts of violence often go unreported. “Circumstances vary and names change, but violence remains,” she said, calling the assault part of a wider pattern of abuse that persists across Pakistan.
Authorities said the investigation is ongoing as medical teams monitor the woman’s critical condition. Police pledged to pursue maximum penalties if the charges are proven, describing the case as “a priority.”
