ISLAMABAD - There is no let up in violence against women and children in the twin citis, TheNation learnt during a recent survey. According to details, acid attacks have so far claimed twenty-five lives in the last four months. Maria Shah, a midwife died recently after struggling for her life for more than 27 days. She received severe burn injuries when a man whom she refused to marry threw acid on her face. Siddiqa Bibi, however, fell victim to institutional lethargy. After giving birth to a baby girl, she was shifted from Intensive Care Unit (ICU) to another ward since wife of some influential person had to be taken care of by the Capital hospital's doctors and Siddiqa Bibi being a low-profile employee of the CDA could not find a place where she could be properly tended to. She died because of excessive bleeding twelve hours after giving birth to the baby girl. She worked in the CDA 1122 as midwife. Her husband Allah Dino did whatever he could to save her life but to no avail. Nusrat Bibi is the latest case. Ironically, it came out to be the Women's Day when Nusrat Bibi was tortured and thrashed by the Bureau officials. On Feb 12, she along with her five children was subjected to brutal physical torture by the policemen and the officials of Child Protection and Welfare Bureau. They were thrashed in front of public on the busiest GPO Chowk. When people tried to come to her aid, the policemen threatened them to get aside or else they would face severe consequences. Zaeem Ahead, a roadside vendor said that people were so terrified by the police that not a single person dared step forward to come to Nusrat Bibi's rescue. Under such gloomy situation, people do not even dare to go police stations to lodge report against such acts, told Raheem Shah, a shopkeeper. He said police force, which was supposed to protect the lives and properties of the citizens was instead making people's life more miserable. It is also evident from the fact that the Chief Justice of Supreme Court has also taken more than a dozen suo motu notices and most of them are related to either killing or rape of women, Raheem maintained. Sakina Bibi, an aged woman's case is the latest example. She was kept in unlawful custody for the whole night at the Police Station Saddr Berooni on Feb 15 in sheer violation of law. She was released only after human rights activists came to her rescue. Mehboob Alam, a shopkeeper in Azhar Shaheed Market in Saddr said rulers as well as top police officials kept issuing statements that they would not spare those police officials found guilty of negligence or misuse of power but the ground realities were quite contrary to the picture.