PAKPATTAN: A woman has survived severe injuries in an acid attack in Pakpattan city of Punjab province on Saturday.
According to police, the incident took place in the suburban area of Jhugian Kundan Lal, where a man attacked Ishrat Bibi with acid.
The attack severely injured the victim, who is a mother of three children. She was rushed to the nearest hospital for treatment.
The assailant has been arrested, and further investigation is underway.
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Punjab is notorious for acid attacks on women. In September 2024, an incident was occurred in the very city of Pakpattan, where a man had splashed acid on his wife and sister-in-law over a domestic dispute.
The police had arrested the assailant 10 days after the incident.
The incident took place in Mohalla Azizabad, where Irshad Khokhar attacked his wife, Shazia, and her sister with acid. Shazia suffered severe burns on her face and body.
Farid Nagar police used modern technology to track down and arrest the suspect. Investigations revealed that Shazia had been seeking khula (legal separation), which angered Khokhar and led him to attack her on September 3.
The police had also arrested the suspect’s brother, Ramzan, and brother-in-law, Kashif Idrees, for allegedly aiding him in the acid attack.
DPO Wilayat had reaffirmed that under Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’s vision, Pakpattan police remain committed to protecting women. He added that perpetrators of crimes against women would not be shown any leniency and that the accused would face strict legal consequences.
However, despite the claims of Punjab government and police of curbing acid attacks, such incidents continue to surface in Punjab.
Days before this acid attack, the Punjab Acid Control Bill 2024, aimed at protecting women from acid attacks, was presented to the Punjab Assembly.
The bill was moved by Punjab Women Protection Authority Chairperson Hina Pervaiz Butt, who said the purpose was to regulate the sale and purchase of acid to curb acid attacks.
Once approved, the bill will be implemented across Punjab immediately, she added.
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According to the bill, any acid vendor will need to obtain a permit from the licensing authority, and deputy commissioner of the respective district will serve as the licensing authority. The license will be valid for two years.
In the case of any legal violation, the licensing authority will have the right to revoke the license. If a vendor fails to obtain a license within 120 days of the bill’s enforcement, they will face fines and penalties.
The bill also prohibits the sale of acid to individuals under 18 years of age.
However, the bill remains stalled in the Punjab Assembly while acid attacks continue unabated.