Acid attack Survivor determined to rebuild life By Maha Mussadaq June 11, 2012 ISLAMABAD: Covered in bandages, Shamas

wounds are still fresh after surgery to tr eat acid burns inflicted by her husband of 10 years. The habit of covering my face with a pillow when I sleep saved it from burns, said Shama, who is the mother of four children, two boys and two girls, at the age o f 24. Living at the Acid Survivors Foundation (ASF), while she recuperates from surger y performed at the Benazir Bhutto Hospital Rawalpindi, Shama said the horrific i ncident ruined her life. But she is not ready to give up. Shama was asleep at her home in Sadiqabad in Multan when her husband, Maqsood Ah med, poured acid on her in the middle of the night. Shama was burnt from the nec k down to her waist. This was seven weeks ago. He was jealous of my beauty, she said. She had recently won a beauty pageant, and was considered to be the most beautiful girl in her village. People used to say we look like father and daughter and he couldnt handle that, she added. Ahmed is 17 years older than Shama. Unsure of what to do, Shama lay in pain till sunrise. She then went to the neare st PCO and called Rescue 1122. Although she underwent surgeries in Nishtar Hospi tal, Multan, her wounds did not heal. At the time she was working in marketing and sales with a company in Multan. Whil e all the other girls used makeup, I got compliments for looking beautiful witho ut it. But now she wont be going back to her old job. Being physically attractive is part of my job and Ive lost my self-confidence. Her family has asked Shama to reconcile with Ahmed for her childrens sake. He brok e my trust, she said wiping her tears, I will go back and begin a new life without him. Ahmed, meanwhile, continues to roam about freely. Shamas case is not alone. There are many instances in which the perpetrators cont inue to evade the law, while their victims live in agony. The law on acid was am ended last December and passed by the Senate, said Muhammad Khan from ASF, but e ven though acid throwing is now criminalised, with a minimum sentence of 14 year s to life imprisonment and a fine of Rs1 million, some concerns need to be addre ssed. Khan said investigation into the crime should be completed within a number of da ys determined by a judge. In case that does not happen, a board should be set up to look into the delay. Surgery is very costly, for which funds should be made available from Baitul Mal , he added. The sale of acid to farmers is something that needs to be more strict ly regulated. Khan said the ASF will now set up awareness camps to inform people how to contro

l damage from acid burns. You should immediately pour as much water as you can on the parts of the body affected by acid to control the damage, he said. All healthcare units should be bound by law to care for an acid victim as a prio rity case without demanding an FIR and help in reporting the crime, he suggested . The number of acid victims has been on the rise with each passing year, despit e laws to check the crime. Most acid attacks are reported from southern Punjab a nd Sindh, he added. http://tribune.com.pk/story/391732/acid-attack-survivor-determined-to-rebuild-li fe/ -----------