ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s foreign office said on Saturday the country’s consul general in New York was in contact with the family of a Pakistani-American student in Long Island who recently survived an acid attack outside her residence.
According to media reports, 21-year-old Nafiah Ikram was targeted by an unknown individual who splashed battery acid in her face while she was taking out food items from the back of her car.
Ikram, who also works as a pharmacy technician, was rescued by her mother, though doctors believe her eyesight was compromised in the attack.
Pakistan’s official statement said the local police department had deputed a 12-member team to investigate the incident.
“We should wait for completion of the investigations to ascertain the nature of the crime and the motive behind it,” the foreign office spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri said while responding to a media query.
“Meanwhile, our embassy in Washington DC and consulate general in New York will continue to follow-up the developments and provide every possible assistance to the family,” he added.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations has already urged the relevant authorities to investigate the incident as a hate crime.
Media reports also suggest the crime rate against Asian-Americans has increased in the United States in recent months.
