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| May 14, 2005 | Saturday | Rabi-us-Sani 5, 1426 |
Check on sale of acids urged
ISLAMABAD, May 13: The participants of a conference on the plight of women disfigured by acid throwers asked the government to regulate the sale and purchase of acids by law. The conference, organized by the Diplex Smileagain Foundation, which educates public about burn victims, also demanded that the existing Suppression of Violence Against Women Act should be strictly implemented.
Dr Umar Adil, a surgeon, informed the conference that girls between the ages of 14 and 25 were the common victims of the acid-throwing crime, unique to South Asian region.
Though motives behind the crime varied, the most frequent were obsession, jealousy, suspected infidelity, the desire of the husband to re-marry and resistance by women to indecent advances.
Dr Adil said 60 per cent of the burn incidents were the result of failed love affairs, mostly one-sided love, suspicion of husbands or family members on the activities of the woman.
Women were the main victims of the crime. About 73 per cent of the burn cases involved women and the remaining 27 per cent men, he said.
However, men were not victims of hate attacks. Most of them got injured during industrial accidents or fell victim to the acid they were trying to throw on some woman.
The victims suffered loss of sight, hearing, speech or mobility where acid fused body parts together. In extreme cases, the victim died, Dr Adil said.
Survivors faced social ostracism, acute depression, personality disintegration and were stripped of self-esteem, self-respect and remained passive, he said.
Through group therapy, the victims could be encouraged to share their tragic experiences, he said. Victims and their relations had to be patient because the healing process, both emotional and medical, took time and was expensive as well. An average of 15 to 20 operations were required for each burn case and that was why the philanthropists and the whole society were needed to play their role.
Nusrat Misbah, president of the Depilex Smileagain Foundation, said people should collectively voice their concern over the issue to put an end to the terrible felony and to provide an impetus to the government to implement and enforce legislation to check such incidents.
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