ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Ministry’s Spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri has assured all possible help to the family of Nafiah Ikram, an American citizen of Pakistani descent, who was left disfigured in an acid attack in New York.
The spokesperson of the Foreign Ministry Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri said in a statement said, “The Consul General of Pakistan in New York is in contact with the family and has offered every possible help.”
The spokesperson further said the local police department had deputed a 12-member team to investigate the incident. “We should wait for investigations to complete to ascertain the nature of the crime and the motive behind it,” Chaudhri added.
Pakistan Embassy in Washington DC and Consulate General in New York would closely follow developments and would provide every possible assistance to the family, he said.
On March 17, Nafiah Ikram and her mother were getting out of their car outside their home when an unknown man rushed up to her, threw a caustic liquid at her face and ran off. She was left severely burned and nearly blind.
Activists have demanded that the incident be investigated as an anti-Muslim hate crime. The attack left her hospitalized for 15 days, with severe burns to her face, eyes, neck, and hands.
Nafiah, who is studying medicine at Hofstra University, and has plans to be a doctor, was rushed to the hospital by her mother, who also works there.
Meanwhile, Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder asked anyone with information to come forward and call, announcing a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.
