Anti-acid attack bill gathers dust

Assembly dissolved without passing important legislation protecting victims of attacks

KARACHI: Despite tall claims by the outgoing provincial government, the Sindh Acid and Crime Control Prevention Bill, 2016 could not be passed and the draft bill is gathering dust in the assembly secretariat.

Following protests by civil society, women and rights activists, the bill was drafted by the women development department but could not become a law despite the fact that many acid attack victims in the province are still struggling for justice.

Raheela Rahim, 21, had ambitions of becoming a doctor but an acid attack disfigured her entire face and put an end to her dreams. Now, she has also been struggling to stay alive due to threats against her. "I have left Karachi and live in Islamabad where I filed a petition requesting the Supreme Court to transfer my case to an Anti-Terrorism Court," she said.

Raheela was attacked by her ex-fiancé on Abul Hasan Isphahani Road in July 2015 when she refused to marry him. She has been fighting for justice ever since. Like Raheela, hundreds of acid attack victims are awaiting justice in Sindh and other provinces as their attackers are still at large.



Keeping in mind the plight of acid victims, the Sindh Commission on the Status of Women with the support of the Strengthening Participatory Organisation (SPO), Trocaire and the Australian government organised a consultative meeting the other day where civil society, women and right activists recommended life imprisonment and fines up to Rs2.5 million against acid attack perpetrators in Sindh. "Our main demand is to refer acid crimes to the Anti-Terrorism Court," said Nuzhat Shirin, chairperson of the Sindh Commission on Status of Women. Referring to recommendations for the proposed law against acid attacks, she said, "Acid attacks should be made a non-bailable offense."

According to experts, the provincial government will create a non-lapsable grant. "There should be a clearly stated time limit within which a relief fund must be released to the victim. The proposed time is a maximum of 30 days from the day of the incident," she said.

Raheema Panhwar of SPO, one of the organisers of the event, diverted attention towards frequent sale of acid and said, "It should be strictly regulated." The debate on the law against acid throwing is not a new idea, there have been consultative meetings where government representatives always vow to make the law and implement it without any delay, but nothing is done, she told The Express Tribune.



A year ago, the chief minister's special assistant on women development, Erum Khalid, on the floor of the assembly had given the good news that they had finalised the law to curb rampant acid attacks on women.  "Our government tends to bring effective laws, which should not be powerless. In this connection we will give the women of the province good news soon," she had said. However, Khalid and the CM’s other cabinet members have now ended their five year tenure without any good news.

But women and rights activists are hopeful that their efforts will not go in vain and the upcoming government will take the mater up. "We know that the tenure of the Pakistan Peoples Party government has now finished, but we are debating the law and recommending important things which will be incorporated in the bill," one of the participants said.