MINGORA: The parents of a 22-year-old married woman have blamed the inlaws of their daughter for cutting her tongue.

They appealed to prime minister and chief justice of Pakistan to provide justice to their daughter as her inlaws subjected her to severe violence.

Zubair, the father of the victim, a resident of Kandaw village in Kabal tehsil, told this scribe in the hospital where he was with his injured daughter that her in-laws inflicted violence on her and then cut her tongue.

`On Wednesday morning one of my grandsons went to his daughter`s house in Serai village of Kabal tehsil and found her injured. He came back and informed me. I went there and found her tongue cut with knife. I rushed her to the hospital, he added.

Mr Zubair said that his son-in-law Akbar Zada, who was abroad, threatened him of grim consequences if he reported the case to police.

He said that his daughter`s mother-in-law and wife and son of her husband`s brother were involved in the crime. `Rahmanud Din, the son of Umer Zada, who isbrother of my daughter`s husband, and his wife Begam held her and her mother-in-law Jehan Paas cut her tongue with a knife, he alleged.

Mr Zubair said that some influential people of the village were forcing him to forgive the in-laws of his daughter instead of moving a court.

The victim is admitted to tehsil headquarters hospital in Kabal. `She has received a 2 centimetres cut on her tongue,` said Dr Abdul Saboor, the head of dental unit at the hospital. He added that she would not be able to speak normally without undergoing plastic surgery.

Humaira Shuakat, a lawyer in Mingora, said that it was a serious and punishable offence. `The accused can be sentenced to minimum 10 years imprisonment. She has also the right to seek divorce,` she added.

Ghazala Rehman, the coordinator of Dastgair Legal Aid Centre Swat, said violence against women was on the rise but government failed to stop it. `The cases of violence against women occur regularly due to lack of awareness and child marriages. We will provide proper treatment and legal aid to the victim,` said Ms Rehman.

DSP Riaz Khan, when contacted, said FIR was registered against the suspects and three persons including mother-in-law of the victim and wife and son of the brother of victim`s husband.