National Commission on Status of Women (NCSW) has finalised the draft for legislation on acid crime and its prevention, proposing severe punishment for the perpetrators and rehabilitation of acid burn victims on the expenses of the state.
Talking to APP, an official of the NCSW on Sunday said that the punishment of crime should be according to the intensity of the burn injury. NCSW has also proposed to set up a rehabilitation board comprising lawyers, doctors and civil society members for providing every possible assistance to the victims of acid crimes.
The bill submitted by Ministry of Women Development (MoWD) and Acid Survivor Foundation (ASF) for review, has been divided into two parts to separately deal with 'Acid Crimes' and 'Acid Prevention.'
'Acid Crimes Bill' advocates severe punishment for the perpetrators while 'Acid Prevention Bill' is drafted for controlling the distribution of acid and evolving a mechanism to criminalise its unlawful sale.
According to the law, the hospitals treating acid burn victims will be responsible to report the matter to the police, the official informed.
However, the state will be responsible to bear the expenses of health facilities including, therapy, treatment and surgeries and also the legal expenses during the trial which can be recovered from the convict after decision of the case. Some legislation carry 'Qisas' and 'Diyat' element to settle the matter.
The legal, gender experts, members of civil society and lawyers who reviewed the bill have termed the acid crime as crime against state and proposed removing of the clause of forgiveness from the legislation, the official informed.
Earlier, two private members bill have been presented in the Parliament by Fakhar-un-Nisa and Marvi Memon while this legislation will be tabled soon as government bill.
Gender Based Violence is often defined as structural violence while acid burning is the worst form of violence against women. Pakistan has acceded CEDAW which define discrimination against women as "any distinction, exclusion or restriction made on the basis of sex which has the effect or purpose of impairing or nullifying the recognition, enjoyment or exercise by women irrespective of their marital status, on a basis of equality of men and women, of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the political, economic, social, cultural, civil or any other field."
Acid violence is a global phenomenon and such crimes are committed not only in Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Uganda, Combodia and Pakistan but also in the United Kingdom.
According to statistics, 46 percent of acid burn victims are women while 36 percent are men. The victims of acid burns not only suffer physical and medial complication but also go thorough psychological trauma.
In Pakistan, Acid Survivor Foundation is providing free rehabilitation to the victims of acid burns since 2006 and working for an acid specific law in the country.
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