Advocate Dua Ali

"Behind the Scars:. Content Warning.

Acid attacks represent a severe form of gender-based violence, with approximately 80% of victims being women, as reported by Acid Survivors Trust International (2022). Despite the enactment of legislation aimed at curbing such violence, including the 2011 amendment to Section 336-B of the Pakistan Penal Code, which prescribes a minimum of 14 years imprisonment to life imprisonment and fines up to 1 million PKR. moreover, in 2012, the National Assembly passed further landmark legislation where it moved trials for acid attack crimes to the anti-terrorism courts, known for adjudicating longer sentences. Still, acid attack violence persisted in Pakistan. Despite such law enactment, the highest number of acid attacks were reported after the enactment of the law in 2016 with 43 cases hence the enforcement remains inadequate. The Pakistan Human Rights Commission (2023) notes a troubling increase of approximately 400 new cases annually. Such demonstrates Pakistan as the deadliest country for acid attacks. The continued unregulated sale of acid exacerbates the issue, undermining legal safeguards. For instance, in 2021, a victim's petition to the Sindh High Court underscored the ongoing availability of concentrated acid in local markets, despite existing restrictions (LUMS Online Application Interface, 2021). This persistent issue highlights the need for stricter enforcement of legal provisions and comprehensive measures to address both the sale of acid and the protection of survivors.