Punjab Assembly moves Acid Control Bill to curb acid attacks

The Punjab Acid Control Bill 2024, aimed at regulating the sale and purchase of acid to prevent attacks on women, has been submitted to the Punjab Assembly on Thursday.

The bill, introduced by PML-N MPA Hina Pervaiz Butt, who also chairs the Punjab Women Protection Authority, seeks to provide stricter control over the distribution of acid across the province.

According to the proposed legislation, acid vendors will require a permit issued by the Deputy Commissioner (DC) of their respective district, with licenses valid for two years.

Vendors who fail to obtain a license within 120 days of the bill’s enforcement will face fines and penalties.The bill also sets age restrictions, prohibiting the sale of acid to individuals under 18.

This legislation comes in response to a worrying rise in acid attacks across Punjab.

In a recent incident, three women from the same family suffered burns in an acid attack in Muzaffargarh, while another woman sustained severe facial and lower body injuries following a brutal acid assault in Islamabad.

Pakistan first criminalized acid attacks in 2011, when the National Assembly passed the Acid and Burn Crime Bill, making such crimes punishable by 14 years to life imprisonment, alongside a fine of PKR 1 million.

In 2012, further landmark legislation was introduced, transferring acid attack cases to anti-terrorism courts, which are known for issuing longer sentences.

Despite these efforts, acid violence has continued to persist across the country.