Research on acid burn victims in Pakistan

AN INVESTIGATION TO THE EMOTIONAL LIFE OF ACID BURNT VICTIMS AND
STATISTICS

Ahmed Jalal Malik

Khizran Ahmad Khan

Thursday, February 7, 2013

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The Research Report

AN INVESTIGATION TO THE EMOTIONAL LIFE OF ACID BURNT VICTIMS AND
STATISTICS

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APPROVAL SHEET

This study, entitled ―AN INVESTIGATION TO THE EMOTIONAL LIFE OF ACID
BURNT VICTIMS AND STATISTICS ‖, discussedand presented by ―Ahmed Jalal Malik &
Khizran Ahmed Khan‖ to the panel on February 7, 2013 at University of Management &
Technology, Lahore, is approved.

Grade: A.

_____________________________
Name and Signature of Chairperson
of the Panel

Members of the Panel

_______________________ ____________________________
Name & Signature Name & Signature

_______________________ ____________________________
Name & Signature Name & Signature

______________________________
Name & Signature of the Chairperson
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Acknowledgement:

One of the great pleasures of writing a research paper is acknowledging the efforts of many
peoples whose names may not appear on the cover, but whose hard work, cooperation, friendship
and understanding were crucial to the completion of the research paper.

Three other people at University of Management & Technology and FAST University devoted
long hours to this project. We would like to acknowledge the effort of Rahat Bashir, SaimYousaf
andUsmanTahir.

Rahat Bashir, a graduate of University of Management & Technology is one of our resource
personto this course. Rahat Bashir is lecturer at University of Management & Technology and
teaches English I, II, III. She works with us and giving a valuable suggestion.

SaimYousaf, an undergraduate student at FAST University. He is our friend and helps us out
from many problems which we face while writing this project.

UsmanTahir,is a member of acid burn foundation NGO. He also devoted a long hours on this
research. He is a social man and helps out people of acid burn victims.

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Abstract:

Purpose of the Study:

Our purpose to write this research paper was to enlighten the peoples about acid burn victims
lives after the acid attack on them. By this research we would like to demonstrate the lives of the
victims. We were able to ensure that this criminal act was too dangerous. We were seeing that
there are many acid burn victims whose lives were meaning less after this happening to them.
They felt that after this, their lives were ended. By this research we were showed that this is one
of a very serious crimeof our society which was continually increased day by day.

Brief Description of the Study:

People considered acid burn victims as alien and took them as criminal and never support them.
However in acid burn victims are miserable and weak that‘s why they attacked by acid and in
most cases they are not in fault. And if they are in guilty acid attack is not a way to punish them
and persuade them to live deadly life.
They have stress full life and sometimes mentally distress. They feel themselves as prisoners and
caught in cage. Acid burn victims have to restrict to remain home due to feeling of inferiority by
the reaction of the people in society with them. They consider them as useless part of society and
not able to do any type work. Acid burn victims loss their all capabilities because of mental
stress after acid attack

Hypotheses:

This study seeks to explore the issue of acid attack violence and to highlight cultural, historical,
societal and individual influences that underpin it. It also extrapolates upon the findings of data
collected from organizations and individuals with the purpose of proving the following
hypotheses:

1. That socio-cultural, situational and individual determinants contribute to acid attack violence.
2. That motivations and causes for acid attack violence vary from location to location.
3. That shame, loss of face or loss of honor are imperatives that perpetuate attacks and
marginalize acid survivors.

Conclusions:

After analysis the data we are now at this point that ―less enforcement of law in Pakistan‖ is the
major cause of this crime. If there are concerning department pay full duty toward their jobs this
crime will be lessened. If certain legal steps have been welcome such as inclusion of Burn
Victims in the list of eligible beneficiaries for the Fund for Women in Distress, and if Punjab
currently envisages to establish a 50 million board to benefit acid and burn attacks survivors, no
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half mending will be effective enough to counter acid violence in Pakistan. Apart from
awareness and sensitization campaigns to generate behavioral change, a full fledge legislative
apparel setting the norm which does not depend on political decisions and leaders but which is
engraved into the legal framework of the country and which is adequately enforced, is imperative
to make Pakistan an acid violence free country.

Recommendations:

Prevention:

IntroducesystematicgatheringandanalysisofdatarelatingtodomesticviolenceandASFbyallrel
evantagencies.
Introduceaprogrammeofeducationforhealthworkers,womendevelopmentofficersand
traditionalhealersin mentalhealthpromotionandpreventionofacidandburnsviolence
acrossthecountry.
Develop a uniform nationwide data collection programme on cases ofviolence against
womenandestablishamonitoringmechanismforeffectiveimplementationof―TheAcid
Control and Acid Crime Prevention Bill‖ and ―The Prevention of Anti-Women Practices
Bill‖.
Undertake genderbasedviolenceandacidattacks awarenessraisingprogrammesinall
communities,specificallytargetingmenandboys.

Investigationandprosecution:

Takeconcretestepstosignificantlyimprovemedicaldocumentationofinjuriesasaresult gender
basedviolenceandacidattackstoensureforensicevidence isretainedthatcan
supportthelayingof appropriatecriminalcharges.
Ensurewomen‘s accessto justiceandmakelegalaidavailableandaccessibleto allwomen.
Introducemoreeffectivevictim andwitnessprotection, including throughapplication
ofexclusionordersbypolicewith,if broken,thepossibilityto rescindbail.
Ensure and adequately resource police investigations into acid attacks and provide
appropriatetraining.
Prosecuteandpunishperpetratorsofacidattacks.
Protectvictimsfromthreatsthatcouldundermineinvestigationsandprosecutions.

Supportsurvivors:

Increase and improve physical rehabilitation and medical care for acid burns survivors,
includingbyprovidingphysiotherapy.
Integratethepreventionandtreatmentofacidandburnsintostrategiesfortheprimary
healthcaresector,alsotakingintoaccountthestate‘sobligationunderthe newlyratified
Conventiononthe RightsofPersonswithDisabilities.

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Raiseawareness:

Providethepolicewiththenecessarytrainingondomesticandsexualviolenceandmonitor
closelytheirapplicationofthe relevantlawstoreportsofincidentsofgenderbasedviolence
andacidattacks.
Providepublicprosecutors,thejudiciaryandotherrelevantGovernmentbodies,aswellas
healthcareproviders,withtrainingondomesticandsexualviolenceandsuicideprevention.

Table of Contents: Page

The Research Report 2
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Approval Sheet 3

Acknowledgement 4

Abstract 5

Recommendation 5

Chapter 1- Scope and Limitations 10-15

Introduction 10-13

Frame Work of Study 13

Significance of Study 13

Scope & Limitations 14

Definition of Terms 14-15

Chapter 2- Review of Literature 16-19

Research Questions 20-22

Chapter 3- Research Methodology 23

Chapter 4-Presentation, Analysis and Interpretation of Data 24-28

Chapter 5- Conclusion & Recommendations 29-30

Conclusion 29

Recommendation 29

List of Tables: Page

Table 1- Repotting the Most Crime by Provinces 25
Table 2-Reason Given for Burn 26
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Table 3-Severity of Burn by Gender 27
Table 4- Annually Reported Crimes of Acid Attack 28

List of Figures: Page

Figure 1-Reporting the most Crime 24

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Chapter 1-The Problem and Its Scope:

Introduction:

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Definition:
Acid violence is a particularly outrageous form of torture-[1] which involves throwing corrosive-
[2] acid at the victims‘ faces. This not only causes face disfiguration but also has a catastrophic-
[3] effect on the victims‘ live. It usually occurs as one of the worst form of domestic violence
and is most often directed against women, but children are often collateral-[4] damage and men
may also be among the victims. The effects of acid violence include serious physical harm (loss
of eyes and limbs, corrosion of organs, and subsequent-[5] infections such as septicemia-[6] and
gangrene-[7]). Acid survivors are disfigured for life. In addition to the inevitable psychological
trauma, survivors also face social isolation and ostracism that further damage their self-esteem-
[8] and seriously undermine their professional and personal future.

Background:

In Pakistan, the acid and burn legislation-[9] aiming at eradicating-[10] acid and burn violence –
one of the worst forms of gender based violence-[11] has been proposed after NailaFarhat‘s case
was taken to the Supreme Court of Pakistan in 2009. It was the first acid attack case reaching
this level of jurisdiction in the history of Pakistan, the victim won the case and it was followed
by a soumoto-[12] action of the Chief Justice, IftikharChaudry, in November 2009, who
consequently advised or requested Pakistani parliamentarians to legislate on acid and burn
violence on the model of the Bangladeshi law. In view of this decision, the Pakistani civil society
initiated-[13]an evidence basedadvocacy-[14] and lobbying-[15] campaign in January 2010 in
collaboration with the then Federal Ministry of Women Development, Federal Ministry of
Human Rights, parliamentarians (MNAs and MPAs), UN agencies, legal and medical experts,
media, the National Commission on the Status of Women (NCSW) and acid survivors
themselves, that initially resulted in the drafting of a comprehensive “acid and burn crime
prevention bill‖. This comprehensivebill was submitted to the then Federal Ministry of Women
Development in July2010. However, the Federal Ministry of Women Development did not
follow up actively on this comprehensive legislation for acid and burn crime so meanwhile, a
Parliamentarian, MarviMemon, tabled a private member bill in May2010 in the National
Assembly that was entitled the Acid and Burn Crime Prevention Bill.

Hence, the legislative process became quite confusing: a private member bill had been tabled
with no prior consultation with any other stakeholder-[16] while a widely supported
comprehensive legislation was in process -or rather pending- with a government institution that
had just been devolved. Keeping in view the best interest of the citizen- especially the acid attack
victims- as well as the legal and political realities –including the passage of the 18th amendment
of the constitution of Pakistan, the Pakistani civil society along with parliamentarians (MNAs
and MPAs), UN agencies, legal and medical experts, media, the National Commission on the
Status of Women (NCSW) and acid survivors themselves opted-[17] for an inclusive and
consensual 3 steps legislation apparel that was inspired from the Sexual Harassment legislation:
1) Amendment in the PPC 2) Comprehensive legal mechanism 3) Complementary law for acid.
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On 12th December 2011, those synergetic and participatory efforts led to the unanimous passage
of MarviMemon‘s private member bill: the Criminal Law Amendment Act 2011 (Act XXV), by
the senate.

This 1st achievement was highly celebrated at national and international level, and perceived-[18]
as an extremely encouraging step towards eradicating acid violence in the country. However, the
civil society insisted from 13th December 2011 onwards that it was only the 1st step of a more
comprehensive legislative apparel and that more efforts and action from the government and the
legislators would be required to also pass the comprehensive Acid and Burn Crime Bill (step 2)
along with the Acid Control Bill (step 3) at provincial level. In fact, while the Criminal Law
Amendment Act 2011 (HURT), Act XXV, specifically makes acid and burn violence a crime
against the state and therefore makes it a non-compoundable and non-billable offence, and
while it imposes a 1 million rupees fine on the perpetrator-[19], and grants between 7 years to
life time imprisonment punishment, it is important to also address other aspects of the crime that
cannot be part of a simple amendment in the Pakistani Penal Code: investigation process
(protection to victims, witnesses, delay of investigation), trial process (type of court and trial
duration), rehabilitation-[20] and legal aid services to victims, funding and monitoring
mechanisms, regulation of distribution and sale of acid.

Since February 2012, the civil society and especially EVAWG alliances provincial chapters
along with Media, MNAs and MPAs, reinitiated a campaign to get the comprehensive Acid and
Burn Crime Bill (STEP 2) passed at provincial level as the need to further legislate on the matter
was highlighted by a geographical, quantitative and qualitative spread of acid violence in the
country: attacks extended to FATA, Kashmir, were used as a tool to practice honor killing, to
threaten girls from attending school, to victimize minorities further, additional attacks were
reported from Dera Ismail Khan. Defective implementation of the Criminal Law Amendment
Act 2011 (Act XXV) was also a reason to urge for the passage of the Comprehensive Acid and
Burn Crime Bill at provincial level as it proposes a monitoring board. But where do we stand to
date?
In ICT the comprehensive Acid and Burn Crime Bill has now been submitted by
DrAtiyaInayatUllah to the National Assembly. This bill is co –signed by 11 parliamentarians
from PPP, MQM, and PML-Q and reached the Minister of Interior on 3rd October 2012 for
official clearance so that it could be tabled in the National Assembly. The bill has now been sent
back to the National Assembly and should be tabled the sent to the relevant committee for
discussion on the next session in January 2013.
In Khyberpukhtunkhwa, the increase in the notifications of acid attacks from KP-FATA within
the last 4 months (10 cases in total) has finally convinced the KP government that the
comprehensive Acid and Burn Crime Bill had to be passed. The Provincial Commission on the
Status of Women along with the civil society and Women Development Department-KP, media
and parliamentarians reviewed the comprehensive bill that has now been forwarded to KP law

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department and sent back to SWD and WED KP. The KP government plans to table this
comprehensive bill as a government bill in January 2013 session.
In Punjab, the comprehensive bill has been submitted to the Women Development Department
and discussed with the Punjab Law Department, till date however, no comprehensive bill has
been tabled in the Provincial assembly.
In Sindh, Baluchistan, Kashmir, Gilgit Baltistan, no further action has been taken with regard to
the comprehensive Acid and Burn Crime Bill.

Framework of the Research:

This research paper comprises-[21] five chapters. Chapter one introduces the central theme of
this study: acid attack violence. It delineates the broad directions of this research (including the
purpose of this study), and introduces the academic theory it is based upon. Chapter Two is a
review of literature from many international settings. It explores various texts, journals and
reports to understand the ways in which societies and cultures grapples with, and perpetuates this
violence. Chapter Four delineates the theoretical and methodological concepts and tools, and
draws upon various inter-disciplinary fields, particularly feminism, public health and
anthropological theory. This chapter also looks at personal, situational, societal and cultural
processes that underpin acid attack violence. Chapter Three offers the see the data interpretation
and its analysis by which it visualize the crime. And lastly, Chapter Five concludes the thesis and
offers recommendations for future research and the design and implementation of gender,
cultural and impairment-[22] sensitive interventions to assist acid attack survivors and prevent
further attacks.

Significance of the Study:

By this research peoples, teachers and institute might get benefit from the study. Because now
days this crime is intensively common. By the study of this research pupil-[23] will aware about
this serious issue and take some computable-[24] steps. This research may help the people how
we can get rid of it. And also by the study of this research people know about the seriousness of
tis criminal act. By this law of this crime is also used to amend and also use to enforcement of
this law on equal level. Teachers, people and other authorities will considered this topic as an
important issue and also will take some important steps to beware of it. Through this research
pupil will organize some kind of seminar to aware more on this topic.

Scope and Limitations:
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We have facing many limitations while on this research. Like when we are going to interviewing
the victims of acid burn many of the refused to give us an interview due to personal reasons. And
also we face some kind of threats when we were going to interview the criminals. While on the
journey of this research we also face social problem because the victims are not as much serious
than or as much sincere to us while taking to us and as the criminals. Both the parties trying to
tells us that they are innocent.

So, we chose secondary data for our research. During collecting the secondary data we face
problem that there are very few researches on this topic.

Definition of Terms:

1) Pain.
2) Harsh.
3) Terrible.
4) Warranty.
5) Following.
6) Disease.
7) Infection.
8) Self-confidence.
9) Law making.
10) Removing.
11) Disobey of rules.
12) Action which is taken by a higher authority person using his own power is called a so
moto action. For example if a chief justice took action against any matter happening in
the country then it will be considered as his so moto action.
13) Started.
14) Support.
15) Petitioning.
16) Investor.
17) Chosen.
18) Suppose.
19) Criminal.
20) Recovery.
21) Involves.
22) Damage.
23) Audience.

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24) Calculable.
25) Unequal.
26) Distributed.
27) Opposing.
28) Shocking.
29) Hurt.
30) Strange.
31) Humbleness.
32) Mental.
33) Consideration.
34) Exchange.
35) Modification.
36) Self-sufficient.
37) Orderly.
38) Alarmingly.
39) Various.
40) Child marriages.
41) In Pakistan, honor killings are known locally as karo-kari.
42) It is a tribal custom of exchanging brides between two families. That is, both families
must have a daughter and a son and be willing to betroth them to a daughter and son of
the other family. For example, in order for one to marry off his son, he must also have a
daughter to marry off in return to the same family.
43) Receivers.
44) To make sensitive.
45) Scientific.
46) Withdraw.
47) Physicaltherapy.

Chapter 2- Review of Literature:

ShirinFuwaley, attacked with acid by her husband. Said that

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My face suddenly felt tight and it was burning all over. The smoke emanating from my
face was suffocating me. Fearing the acid would eat up my face, I ran home. My mother
opened the door and went into shock to see her daughter‘s face being swallowed up by
acid fumes. I received third degree burns on my face, right hand and chest. My features
were completely distorted, and it was difficult for my own friends to recognize me. Since
my eyelids had shrunk, I couldn‘t close my eyes, and this made it very difficult for me to
sleep. Every night, I‘d sit on my bed waiting for dawn. (John, 1994, p.265).

This chapter examines the existing literature relating to acid attack violence and identifies
limitations in coverage. It then explores gender-based violence (hereafter GBV) and acid attack
violence. An exploration of the incidence and motivations for acid attack violence by
geographical regions is also discussed. The chapter concludes with a snapshot of global and local
NGOs working on the issue of acid attack violence.

A woman burnt by acid is like a living corpse. Those who commit such vengeful acts
seek to sentence their victims to a plight worse than death. (Uzman, 2009).

Statistics on acid attacks in Pakistan are disparate-[25] and scattered-[26] at best. Recent data
compiled by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (hereafter HRCP) found that in 2007, at
least 33 women were burned in acid attacks which suggest a large decrease in attacks from
previous years. In 2004, the HRCP documented 46 acid attacks in the southern Punjab alone
(qtd. in Amnesty International). The newly established Acid Survivors Foundation Pakistan
(hereafter ASFP) has contrasting-[27] figures to the HRCP, and has listed 137 survivors who
haveutilized their services in the past year. However it is the staggering-[28] estimate by the
Human Rights Watch (hereafter HRW) that cites ―at least 280 women died and 750 suffered
injuries in 2002 alone as a result of acid attacks‖ (HRW). Furthermore, the HRCP in their State
of Human Rights 2004 report state that approximately 400 women are attacked by acid each year
and that 15,000 cases of acid attack violence have been reported over the past ten years (HRCP
State of Human Rights 2004 182). These staggering HCRP statistics must be viewed with
caution, as they were collected from local newspapers, and not from a wide array of informant
sources. In contrast, the statistics available for one year later in the State of Human Rights 2005
report do not necessarily correlate with the abovementioned figures, as

According to HRCP data, seven cases (of acid attacks) were reported between November
1st2004 and August 31st 2005. (HRCP State of Human Rights, 2005,p.188).

Other figures collected by a local NGO, the Ansar Burney Trust, based in Karachi, estimate

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As of a few years ago…[t]hat as many as four women were seriously burnt in such cases
weekly in Pakistan. (Ansar Burney,2010, p.75).

The plight of acid attack survivors in Pakistan has recently been highlighted in the New York
Times article ‗Terrorism that‘s Personal‘ by Nicholas Kristof. In this op-ed piece, he discusses
the work of the Progressive Women‘s Association who has

Documented 7,800 cases of women who were deliberately burned, scalded or subjected
to acid attacks, just in the Islamabad area. In only 2 percent of those cases was anyone
convicted.(Kristof, 2011, p.135).

The motivations for acid attacks in Pakistan range from men attacking women over rejection of
marriage proposals

To insure pain and suffering on the victimbecause she dishonored him by refusing his
proposal. (Ansar Burney,2011)

To religious fundamentalists attacking unknown women

Because they felt the women were too modern and westernized; even if all the women
had done is wear jeans instead of the traditional Pakistani dress. (Ansar Burney,2012).

Some scholars speculate as to why fire and kerosene are the chosen tools for killing women over
dowry disputes. One postulation by Sharma and colleagues contend there are religio-historical
influences at play: ―fire and its searing/cleansing powers have been held in great reverence and
fear in the Indian psyche‖ (Sharma, Harish, Sharma and Vij 251). The outlawed act of Sati
(whereby widows voluntarily or forcibly committed suicide by burning themselves alive) and
Sita are two such examples:

An Indian mythological story wherein Lord Rama, after rescuing his wife Sita from the
clutches of the demon King Ravana, made her publicly walk through fire to prove her
chastity. This extended to cleansing and blessing of human bonds and relationships over
it. (havens and pheras – Hindu rituals wherein the blessings of ―Agni‖ the God of fire are
sought…[E]venShushruta‘s ancient medical treatise gave it the final sterilizing/cleansing
authority. From this background, setting oneself on fire may have been arrived at, as an
Indian means of honorable suicide.(Sharma et al., 252).

However, whilst self-immolation or setting a woman on fire is considered by some as honorable,
the mutation of these types of traditions into the modern day burning of brides over economic
greed is a perversion of the auspiciousness of Sati. Kerosene, most often used as the ignition
fluid in Dowry Violence, is commonly found in kitchens in India and is cheap, legal, and
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accessible. In cases where Dowry Deaths are investigated, often they are classified by
authorities as Dowry Accidents whereby a stove has burst or there is a kitchen accident. (Jutla
and Heimbach, 197, p.166).

Gender base violence is about oppression and control of women, and manifests in many different
forms. The United Nations General Assembly defines Gender base violenceas:

...any act…[t]hat results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual, or psychological
harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion, or arbitrary
deprivations of liberty, whether occurring in public or private life. b(United Nations
Population Fund (hereafter UNFPA) 2).

It includes crimes of honor, acid attack violence, child marriage, female genital mutilation-[29],
dowry-related murder, forced abortion, forced use of contraceptives, pre- natal sex selection
female infanticide, enforced sterilization or pregnancy, sexual harassment, rape and sexual
assault, stalking, heterosexual and same sex domestic violence, forced prostitution, international
HIV transmission, enslavement of women, and trafficking, (Skinner et al 2; Heise, Ellsberg, and
Gottemoellerqtd. in PAHO). GBV also includes non-fatal and non-physical outcomes such as
emotional and/or financial abuse (Nosek and Howland 1).

References:

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The Washington Post.(2012). Pakistan acid victim FakhraYunus commits
suicide:http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/blogpost/post/pakistan-acid-victim-fakhra-yunus-
commits-suicide/2012/03/26/gIQAwUtGcS_blog.html

Daily Times. (2010). Pakistan acid attack parents speak of
remorse:http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2012%5C11%5C07%5Cstory_7-11-
2012_pg7_17

Dawn Newspaper. (2012).Acid burn victim: justice long way away:
http://dawn.com/2012/06/17/acid-burn-victim-justice-long-way-away-2/

The Express Tribune. (2011). Acid attacks: Turning a blind eye to laws to curb violence against
women: http://tribune.com.pk/story/474343/acid-attacks-turning-a-blind-eye-to-laws-to-curb-
violence-against-women/

BBC News. (2012). Pakistani women's lives destroyed by acid attacks:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-17676542

Acid Survivor Foundation. (2013). Survivors’ Stories:
http://acidsurvivorspakistan.org/survivors-stories

The Express Tribune. (2013). Acid throwing posted 89% increase in 2012: Report:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/498342/acid-throwing-posted-89-increase-in-2012-report/

Acid Survivor Foundation. (2012). Comprehensive Acid And Burn Legislation Status:
http://acidsurvivorspakistan.org/comprehensive-acid-and-burn-legislation-status

The Express Tribune. (2013). Preventing acid attacks:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/499388/preventing-acid-attacks-2/

The Guardian. (2012). Kashmir parents accused of killing daughter in acid
attack:http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/nov/02/parents-accused-kashmir-acid-attack

Daniel&Chinoey. (2011). Saving Face [Motion Pictures]. Pakistan.HBO.

Dawn Newspaper. (2011). I lost my job, I lost my face: acid burn victim:
http://dawn.com/2011/12/14/new-laws-protect-women-from-abuse-in-pakistan/

Huff Post World. (2012). The Burn Victims of Pakistan: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/shama-
junejo/the-burn-victims-of-pakis_b_1377694.html

Research Questions:

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Q1: Are acid victims able to live normal life in society?

Answer:

Mostly acid victims cannot able to live normal life. Because mostly people take them as alien
because of their burn faces and sometimes total change in their body shape.

Q2: Do acid burnt victims become patients of depression?

Answer:

Yes, they become depression patients because due to ignorance of people in society and also
due to feeling of inferiority. They felt themselves as prisoners in cage because they cannot able
to live normal routine life and restricted to remain in home due to feeling of inferiority.

Q3: Do acid burn victims are caught in psychological disorder?

Answer:

Very few female acid victims caught in psychological disorder due to after first surgery. When
bandages removed from their faces and they saw their faces sometimes they become mentally
disturb by horrible face and also by thinking deadly future life.

Q4: Is society accepting acid burn victims?

Answer:

It seemed difficult that society accept them. But due to media positive role and by the work of
NGO‘s people got awareness and their thinking now changing and people try to give importance
to the acid victims and have sympathy for them.

Q5: Do acid burnt victims are able to move around in society?

Answer:

No, acid victims are restricted to remain in home because of their alien like faces due to acid
attack and their thinking that they are the useless part of society and they have to wait for only
death or someone to help them.

Q6: How much has the Acid Control and Acid Crime Prevention Bill that was passed in the
Senate in Pakistan last year, helped in controlling the situation?

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Answer:
It has helped in the sense that acid violence has now been recognized as a crime against the state
and those perpetrators, if accused, cannot be bailed out or cannot negotiate their freedom at the
expense of the victim as it is no more a compoundable offence. But ASF has always said that this
amendment was only step one: if an acid and Burn crime bill 2012 and acid control act are not
passed and implemented, acid violence will remain in the country, other issues must be
addressed in a comprehensive specific legislation: investigation process, trial, state responsibility
to provide free medical and rehabilitation services, funding and monitoring mechanism,
regulation and monitoring of acid sale and distribution. All these last aspects cannot be touched
through an amendment in the PPC, so there is still a lot of work!

Q.7: More than the medical aid, how much does psychological help do you feel is required
for the victims?

Answer:
Psychological help is essential for the victim‘s healing, it needs to be there from day one; the
survivor needs it to bear the pain and the treatment, to deal with the disfigurement and their
―new‖ self, they also need this support to envisage a new life project and face all the challenges
that will be their lot: the depression, the stigma, the difficulties during the trial, the fear, the
threats, the tension of joining back the community and face perpetrators or other community,
family members, face/deal with the violence that is still there after the attack. Without this,
survivors cannot make it.

Q.8: Being a victim of an acid attack must be torturous. How do you deal with the victims?
What is the main motive?

Answer:

Indeed, acid violence is one of the worst forms of violence you can inflict to a human being. A
holistic approach and provide comprehensive rehabilitation services to survivors of acid attack.
By identify them, offer free medical, psycho social, economic support, and legal aid. Developing
local capacities to organize a better response to acid violence and empowering the survivors so
that they can rebuild their life and get back to their community as autonomous dignified,
proactive democratic CITIZENS.

Q.9: How we can prevent this?

Answer:
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IntroducesystematicgatheringandanalysisofdatarelatingtodomesticviolenceandASFbyallrelevantag
encies. Introduceaprogrammeofeducationforhealthworkers,womendevelopmentofficersand
acrossthecountry. Develop a uniform nationwide data collection programme on cases ofviolence
against womenandestablishamonitoringmechanismforeffectiveimplementationof ―The Acid
Control and Acid Crime Prevention Bill‖ and ―The Prevention of Anti-Women Practices Bill‖.

Chapter 3 – Research Methodology

About the Researcher:

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Ahmed JalalMalikis undergraduate from University of Management & Technology. He is doing
BS Software Engineering and presently he is in 3rd Semester. He was completed his matric from
Karachi.After than he was came to Lahore for further studies. He was completed his F.S.c (pre –
engineering) for Govt.Islamia College, Lahore. In 2011 he was took admission in University of
Management & Technology and continues his studies till 2015.

Khizran Ahmad Khanisunder graduate from University of Management & Technology. He is
doing BS Software Engineering and presently he is in 3rd Semester. He was completed his matric
from Lahore. He was completed his F.S.c (pre – Madical) for Govt. Islamia College, Lahore. In
2011 he was took admission in University of Management & Technology and continues his
studies till 2015.

Research Design:

We are doingthe research, which is of qualitative, descriptive type.

This research paper data is basically a secondary source. So, we took some interview which was
taken by other person of the acid bunt victims and share the happening of his/her to you.

The data of this research paper is fully reliable because the survey or data which we have used in
this research is taken from some reliable organization reports and newspaper polls.

The Data of this research paper is collecting from different reliable sources. Most of the data is
gathered from Acid Survivor Foundation, Pakistan (ASF). And some data is collected from
Newspaper reports like Dawn, Jung and Dunya.

The Data will be represented in the form of narrative descriptions as well as in the form of tables,
figures and charts.

Chapter 4- Presentation, Analysis and Interpretation of Data:

Figure 1- Reporting the most Crime:

Page | 23

A total of 7,516 cases were reported in 2012 compared to the 8,539 cases reported in 2011.
Some 8,000 cases of VAW were reported in 2010, 8,548 cases in 2009 and 7,571 in 2008,
respectively.
Breaking it down by province, out of the total cases reported this past year, 4,753 were reported
from Punjab, 1,674 cases from Sindh, 159 cases from Baluchistan, 674 cases from Khyber-
Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) and 281 cases were reported from Islamabad.

Figure 1. Reporting the most crime. From Tribune Express. By FaizanDawood, 2013,
http://tribune.com.pk/story/498342/acid-throwing-posted-89-increase-in-2012-report/

Numbers and Crimes:
The crimes most reported in 2012 were of abduction and kidnapping, with 1,607 such cases
recorded all over the country. The second most commonly reported crime was murder, with
1,747 cases reported. Additionally, 989 cases of domestic violence were reported last year.
Disturbingly, there was also a high prevalence of rape and gang rape in the country, with cases
numbering 820.
574 suicides and 432 cases of honor killings were reported as well as 83 incidents of acid
throwing and 63 cases of sexual assault.
The miscellaneous category – which includes attempted suicide, torture, injury, attempt to
murder, attempted rape, threat to life, harassment, attempt to kidnap, illegal custody, trafficking,
vanni, forced marriage, child marriage, incest, attempt at karokariand wattasatta— added up to a
total of 1,201 cases.
Page | 24

Table 1- Repotting the Most Crime by Provinces:

Crime Category Number of Incidents Percentage of Total
Kidnapping/Abduction 1607 21.38%
Murder 1747 23.24%
Domestic violence 989 13.15%
Rape / Gang Rape 820 10.91%
Suicide 574 7.63%
Honor Killing 432 5.74%
Acid Throwing 83 1.10%
Sexual Assault 63 0.83
Miscellaneous 1201 15.97%

Despite the Numbers:
Although the total number of reported cases of VAW has decreased by 12%, analysis shows that
several forms of violence have in fact increased. One form which shows a significant increase in
reported cases is acid throwing, with a staggering 89% increase, followed by domestic violence
reaching 62%, burning at 33% and murder at 11%.
The crimes that decreased in 2012 compared to 2011 were sexual assault crimes (43% decrease),
honor killings (39% decreases), suicide (24% decrease) and abduction or kidnapping (23%
decrease).
From Punjab and Islamabad, abduction was frequently reported, whereas from Sindh,
Baluchistan and K-P, murder was the most frequent crime

Table 2-Reason given for burn:

Page | 25

In this data analysis, we are dividing the chat into two major classes. One is Male and second is
Female. This chart shows the accidents are happened to the both classes. Accidentally acid burnt
the victims are 8% males and 16% females. Suicidal attack is 6.5% of male and 18% of females.
Homidal attack of acid on male and females are 1% and 51.5% respectively. By this data we says
that 70% of women‘s and 30% are of males are targeted by acid attack.

60

50

40

30 Male
Female
20

10

0
Accidentaly Suicidal Homidal

This is a survey has took from Acid Survivor Foundation (ASF) annual report.

Table 3-Severity of Burn by Gender:

Page | 26

So too is the considerably higher percentage of less severe burns among men (see Table 3) and
the fact that 57% of women suffer burns to over a third of their body compared to 28% of men.
This can also be interpreted as part of the higher prevalence of accidental burns among women,
as set out in Table 2.

This chart data represent the sever burn between men and women. In this cases women are faced
more sever burn as compare to men.

30

25

20

15 Male
Female
10

5

0
5- 20-29 30-49 50-64 65-74 75-100

This is a survey taken from a report of UNICEF Pakistan in 2012.

Table 4- Annually Reported Crimes of Acid Attack:

Page | 27

Crimes Per Year

2004-2006
2007-2008
2009-2010
2011
2012

In this data we are built a graph by which you have seen that how many cases were registered
annually. In 2004-2006 65 cases has been registered. In 2007-2008 71 cases were registered. In
2009-2010 79 cases were registered. In 2011 only in one year 52 cases were registered. After the
legislation was passed from the parliament of Pakistan the number of cases of acid attack are
reduces up to 35. But this is only those cases which were registered in police station many of
them goes unregistered.

Chapter 5 –Conclusions and Recommendations:

Page | 28

Conclusion:

After analysis the data we are now at this point that ―less enforcement of law in Pakistan‖ is the
major cause of this crime. If the concerning department pay full duty toward their jobs this crime
will be lessened. If certain legal steps have been welcome such as inclusion of Burn Victims in
the list of eligible beneficiaries for the Fund for Women in Distress, and if Punjab currently
envisages to establish a 50 million board to benefit acid and burn attacks survivors, no half
mending will be effective enough to counter acid violence in Pakistan. Apart from awareness and
sensitization campaigns to generate behavioral change, a full fledge legislative apparel setting
the norm which does not depend on political decisions and leaders but which is engraved into the
legal framework of the country and which is adequately enforced, is imperative to make Pakistan
an acid violence free country.

Recommendations:

Prevention:

IntroducesystematicgatheringandanalysisofdatarelatingtodomesticviolenceandASFbyallrel
evantagencies.
Introduceaprogrammeofeducationforhealthworkers,womendevelopmentofficersand
acrossthecountry.
Develop a uniform nationwide data collection programme on cases ofviolence against
womenandestablishamonitoringmechanismforeffectiveimplementationof―TheAcid
Control and Acid Crime Prevention Bill‖ and ―The Prevention of Anti-Women Practices
Bill‖.

Investigationandprosecution:

Takeconcretestepstosignificantlyimprovemedicaldocumentationofinjuriesasaresult gender
basedviolenceandacidattackstoensureforensicevidence isretainedthatcan
supportthelayingof appropriatecriminalcharges.
Ensurewomen‘s accessto justiceandmakelegalaidavailableandaccessibleto allwomen.
Introducemoreeffectivevictim andwitnessprotection, including throughapplication
ofexclusionordersbypolicewith,if broken,thepossibilityto rescindbail.
Ensure and adequately resource police investigations into acid attacks and provide
appropriatetraining.
Prosecuteandpunishperpetratorsofacidattacks.
Protectvictimsfromthreatsthatcouldundermineinvestigationsandprosecutions.

Page | 29

Supportsurvivors:

Increase and improve physical rehabilitation and medical care for acid burns survivors,
includingbyprovidingphysiotherapy.
Integratethepreventionandtreatmentofacidandburnsintostrategiesfortheprimary
healthcaresector,alsotakingintoaccountthestate‘sobligationunderthe newlyratified
Conventiononthe RightsofPersonswithDisabilities.

Raiseawareness:

Providethepolicewiththenecessarytrainingondomesticandsexualviolenceandmonitor
closelytheirapplicationofthe relevantlawstoreportsofincidentsofgenderbasedviolence
andacidattacks.
Providepublicprosecutors,thejudiciaryandotherrelevantGovernmentbodies,aswellas
healthcareproviders,withtrainingondomesticandsexualviolenceandsuicideprevention

Page | 30

Research on acid burn victims in Pakistan

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