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AcidattackSurvivordeterminedtorebuildlife

ByMahaMussadaq

June11,2012

ISLAMABAD:Coveredinbandages,Shamaswoundsarestillfreshaftersurgerytotreatacidburnsinflictedbyherhusbandof10years.

ThehabitofcoveringmyfacewithapillowwhenIsleepsaveditfromburns,saidShama,whoisthemotheroffourchildren,twoboysandtwogirls,attheageof24.

LivingattheAcidSurvivorsFoundation(ASF),whilesherecuperatesfromsurgeryperformedattheBenazirBhuttoHospitalRawalpindi,Shamasaidthehorrificincidentruinedherlife.Butsheisnotreadytogiveup.

ShamawasasleepatherhomeinSadiqabadinMultanwhenherhusband,MaqsoodAhmed,pouredacidonherinthemiddleofthenight.Shamawasburntfromtheneckdowntoherwaist.Thiswassevenweeksago.

Hewasjealousofmybeauty,shesaid.Shehadrecentlywonabeautypageant,andwasconsideredtobethemostbeautifulgirlinhervillage.

Peopleusedtosaywelooklikefatheranddaughterandhecouldnthandlethat,sheadded.Ahmedis17yearsolderthanShama.

Unsureofwhattodo,Shamalayinpaintillsunrise.ShethenwenttothenearestPCOandcalledRescue1122.AlthoughsheunderwentsurgeriesinNishtarHospital,Multan,herwoundsdidnotheal.

AtthetimeshewasworkinginmarketingandsaleswithacompanyinMultan.Whilealltheothergirlsusedmakeup,Igotcomplimentsforlookingbeautifulwithoutit.

Butnowshewontbegoingbacktoheroldjob.BeingphysicallyattractiveispartofmyjobandIvelostmyself-confidence.

HerfamilyhasaskedShamatoreconcilewithAhmedforherchildrenssake.Hebrokemytrust,shesaidwipinghertears,Iwillgobackandbeginanewlifewithouthim.

Ahmed,meanwhile,continuestoroamaboutfreely.

Shamascaseisnotalone.Therearemanyinstancesinwhichtheperpetratorscontinuetoevadethelaw,whiletheirvictimsliveinagony.ThelawonacidwasamendedlastDecemberandpassedbytheSenate,saidMuhammadKhanfromASF,buteventhoughacidthrowingisnowcriminalised,withaminimumsentenceof14yearstolifeimprisonmentandafineofRs1million,someconcernsneedtobeaddressed.

Khansaidinvestigationintothecrimeshouldbecompletedwithinanumberofdaysdeterminedbyajudge.Incasethatdoesnothappen,aboardshouldbesetuptolookintothedelay.

Surgeryisverycostly,forwhichfundsshouldbemadeavailablefromBaitulMal,headded.Thesaleofacidtofarmersissomethingthatneedstobemorestrictlyregulated.

KhansaidtheASFwillnowsetupawarenesscampstoinformpeoplehowtocontro

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ldamagefromacidburns.Youshouldimmediatelypourasmuchwaterasyoucanonthepartsofthebodyaffectedbyacidtocontrolthedamage,hesaid.

AllhealthcareunitsshouldbeboundbylawtocareforanacidvictimasaprioritycasewithoutdemandinganFIRandhelpinreportingthecrime,hesuggested.Thenumberofacidvictimshasbeenontherisewitheachpassingyear,despitelawstocheckthecrime.MostacidattacksarereportedfromsouthernPunjabandSindh,headded.

http://tribune.com.pk/story/391732/acid-attack-survivor-determined-to-rebuild-life/

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