SARGODHA, March 11: A woman of a village is lying helplessly in hospital after amputation of her both legs on Feb 7 allegedly by her brother-in-law and mother-in-law over suspicion of her loose morals.

Reports said Mussarat Shaheen was deprived of her limbs by her brother-in-law Farman Ali, his mother Bhagan and friend Asghar, who clubbed her for her alleged illicit affairs.

Fighting for life, the woman told this correspondent that her brother-in-law was forcing her to arrange his marriage with her sister. She said Farman's sister, Nusrat, was to be wed to her minor brother, but she eloped with her paramour.

Mussarat alleged that she was mercilessly treated by her in-laws in the absence of her husband, who worked abroad. Whatever sum he dispatched, she alleged, Farman and his mother appropriated it.

She accused police of favouring the suspects, who forced her to put her legs in boiled oil before amputating her legs. She also said her brother and another brother-in-law witnessed her clubbing, but could not rescue her for being threatened with dire consequences.

Mussarat said she was married to Ehsan four years ago and they has a three-year-old son. She feared that her parents might not keep her at their home nor had she any place at the in-laws' house.

Worried about future, she said, she was thinking of committing suicide because she didn't want to live a life of misery and shame. Most of the villagers this correspondent talked to during his visit favoured Farman, alleging that the woman eloped with her paramour and also taken away Farman's sister.

Meanwhile, talking to newsmen, MNA Shahzadi Tiwana voiced her concern over brutality against Mussarat, a resident of Chak 75-NB. She assured her that she would raise this matter at higher forum and the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan would extend her all the possible help.

She also called upon the women organizations and human rights activists to play their due role to save women from barbarism. Ms Muniza Tarar, the Pakistan Family Protection Project's Data Collection unit coordinator, said the social welfare department had provided help to Mussarat and was paying for her treatment.

She said Mussarat was likely to be shifted to Lahore for her proper treatment where arrangements for artificial limbs would also be made. The department, she said, had requested the Punjab governor and chief minister to bear the expenses of her artificial limbs from the discretionary funds.