In yet another instance of violence against women, an Okara woman became victim to an acid attack for refusing a marriage proposal. A man threw acid on the young woman over her refusal to marry him.
Rescue officials revealed that the victim suffered acid burns and was rushed to the hospital for treatment.
According to ARY News and the young lady’s relatives, the attack took place in the marketplace. They revealed that the attacker is already married and wanted to contract a second marriage with the victim.
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The young woman’s relatives are demanding that the Chief Minister Punjab take notice of the issue and provide justice.
Acid attacks refuse to go away
Acid attacks are not uncommon in South Asia. These attacks are motivated by vengeance over rejection, refusal of indecent proposals, family disputes, dowry, land disputes, political conflicts, etc. This is just one of many forms of violence against women.
Pakistan’s National Assembly also passed that the Acid and Burn Crime Bill 2017, to curb acid attacks. The law also promises rehabilitation for victims of acid attack.
According to the Acid Survivors Foundation Pakistan (ASFP) the reported cases of acid attacks on women dropped by half compared to the last five years. This is due to laws that regulate the sales of acid.
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However, there is a need to address gender parity and gender discrimination to eradicate all forms of violence against women.
Recently a man was convicted by the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) for an acid attack against a co-worker in Lahore. His conviction represents just one step to her recovery.
There are organizations for the rehabilitation of acid victims. Many victims move forward on their own. One example is a transperson, Nayyab Ali who contested the General Elections 2018 from Okara NA-141.
