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 ”, discussed and 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, Saim Yousaf and Usman Tahir.

Rahat Bashir, a graduate of University of Management & Technology is one of our resource person to 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.

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

Usman Tahir, 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 crime of 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:

P r e v e n t i o n:

Introduce systematic gathering and analysis of data relating to domestic violence and ASF by all relevant agencies.

Introduce a programme of education for health workers, women development officers and traditional healers in mental health promotion and prevention of acid and burns violence across the country.

Develop a uniform nationwide data collection programme on cases of violence against women and establish a monitoring mechanism for effective implementation of “The Acid Control and Acid Crime Prevention Bill” and “The Prevention of Anti-Women Practices Bill”.

Undertake gender based violence and acid attacks awareness raising programmes in all communities, specifically targeting men and boys.

I n v e s t i g a t i o n a n d p r o s e c u t i o n:

Take concrete steps to significantly improve medical documentation of injuries as a result gender based violence and acid attacks to ensure forensic evidence is retained that can support the laying of appropriate criminal charges.

Ensure women’s access to justice and make legal aid available and accessible to all women.

Introduce more effective victim and witness protection, including through application of exclusion orders by police with, if broken, the possibility to rescind bail.

Ensure and adequately resource police investigations into acid attacks and provide appropriate training.

Prosecute and punish perpetrators of acid attacks. Protect victims from threats that could undermine investigations and prosecutions.

S u p p o r t s u r v i vo rs:

Increase and improve physical rehabilitation and medical care for acid burns survivors, including by providing physiotherapy.

Integrate the prevention and treatment of acid and burns into strategies for the primary health care sector, also taking into account the state’s obligation under the newly ratified Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

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R a i s e a w a r e n e s s:

Provide the police with the necessary training on domestic and sexual violence and monitor closely their application of the relevant laws to reports of incidents of gender based violence and acid attacks.

Provide public prosecutors, the judiciary and other relevant Government bodies, as well as healthcare providers, with training on domestic and sexual violence and suicide prevention.

Table of Contents: Page

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The Research Report 2

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 25Page | 8

Table 2-Reason Given for Burn 26

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:

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Introduction:

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 Naila Farhat’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 sou moto-[12] action of the Chief Justice, Iftikhar Chaudry, 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 based advocacy-[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 comprehensive bill was submitted to the then Federal Ministry of Women Development in July 2010. 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, Marvi Memon, tabled a private member bill in May 2010 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

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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. On 12th December 2011, those synergetic and participatory efforts led to the unanimous passage of Marvi Memon’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 Dr Atiya Inayat Ullah 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

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and parliamentarians reviewed the comprehensive bill that has now been forwarded to KP law 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) Physical therapy.

Chapter 2- Review of Literature:

Shirin Fuwaley, 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 have utilized 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 1st 2004 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 victim because 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 where in 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]ven Shushruta’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 violence as:

...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 Gottemoeller qtd. 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 Fakhra Yunus 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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Introduce systematic gathering and analysis of data relating to domestic violence and ASF by all relevant agencies. Introduce a programme of education for health workers, women development officers and traditional healers in mental health promotion and prevention of acid and burns violence across the country. Develop a uniform nationwide data collection programme on cases of violence against women and establish a monitoring mechanism for effective implementation of “The Acid Control and Acid Crime Prevention Bill” and “The Prevention of Anti-Women Practices Bill”. Undertake gender based violence and acid attacks awareness raising programmes in all communities, specifically targeting men and boys.

Chapter 3 – Research Methodology

About the Researcher:

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Ahmed Jalal Malik is under 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 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 Khan is under 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 doing the 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:

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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 Faizan Dawood, 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 karo kari and watta satta— added up to a total of 1,201 cases.

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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:

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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.

Accidentaly Suicidal Homidal0

10

20

30

40

50

60

MaleFemale

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

Table 3-Severity of Burn by Gender:

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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.

5- 20-29 30-49 50-64 65-74 75-1000

5

10

15

20

25

30

MaleFemale

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

Table 4- Annually Reported Crimes of Acid Attack:

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Crimes Per Year

2004-20062007-20082009-201020112012

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:

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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:

P r e v e n t i o n:

Introduce systematic gathering and analysis of data relating to domestic violence and ASF by all relevant agencies.

Introduce a programme of education for health workers, women development officers and traditional healers in mental health promotion and prevention of acid and burns violence across the country.

Develop a uniform nationwide data collection programme on cases of violence against women and establish a monitoring mechanism for effective implementation of “The Acid Control and Acid Crime Prevention Bill” and “The Prevention of Anti-Women Practices Bill”.

Undertake gender based violence and acid attacks awareness raising programmes in all communities, specifically targeting men and boys.

I n v e s t i g a t i o n a n d p r o s e c u t i o n:

Take concrete steps to significantly improve medical documentation of injuries as a result gender based violence and acid attacks to ensure forensic evidence is retained that can support the laying of appropriate criminal charges.

Ensure women’s access to justice and make legal aid available and accessible to all women.

Introduce more effective victim and witness protection, including through application of exclusion orders by police with, if broken, the possibility to rescind bail.

Ensure and adequately resource police investigations into acid attacks and provide appropriate training.

Prosecute and punish perpetrators of acid attacks. Protect victims from threats that could undermine investigations and prosecutions.

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S u p p o r t s u r v i vo rs:

Increase and improve physical rehabilitation and medical care for acid burns survivors, including by providing physiotherapy.

Integrate the prevention and treatment of acid and burns into strategies for the primary health care sector, also taking into account the state’s obligation under the newly ratified Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

R a i s e a w a r e n e s s:

Provide the police with the necessary training on domestic and sexual violence and monitor closely their application of the relevant laws to reports of incidents of gender based violence and acid attacks.

Provide public prosecutors, the judiciary and other relevant Government bodies, as well as healthcare providers, with training on domestic and sexual violence and suicide prevention

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