SC calls acid attack an offence worse than murder, urges National Rehabilitation Fund

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court has described acid attacks as an offence “worse than murder,” while upholding the life sentence of a man convicted of throwing acid on a woman in Faisalabad.

In a detailed judgment authored by Justice Muhammad Hashim Khan Kakar, the apex court dismissed the appeal of convicted Abdul Manan and maintained his life imprisonment awarded by the Anti-Terrorism Court, Faisalabad. The Lahore High Court had earlier upheld the conviction and sentence.

The court also directed the convict to pay Rs1 million as compensation to the victim, Iqra Perveen.

According to the case record, Abdul Manan threw acid on the victim’s face and body on September 4, 2019, while she was cooking in her home, with the intent to permanently injure and disfigure her. He was convicted under Section 336-B of the Pakistan Penal Code and sentenced to rigorous life imprisonment along with compensation.

Acid Attack Worse Than Homicide

In its ruling, the Supreme Court observed that vitriolage (acid attack) is significantly more heinous than homicide.

“Unlike death, which consumes its victim only once, the victim of an acid assault is condemned to a ‘living death,’ forced to endure daily physical agony, disfigurement, and psychological trauma,” the judgment stated. The court noted that such attacks aim not merely to harm but to destroy the victim’s identity and dignity.

Citing earlier landmark observations by former Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Asif Saeed Khan Khosa, the court reiterated that acid attacks are “an offence worse than murder,” as they leave victims in perpetual pain, social ostracism, disfigurement and economic dependency.

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The judgment termed acid violence one of the worst forms of gender-based violence in society, often used as a tool of patriarchal dominance in cases involving rejection of marriage or love proposals, sexual advances, dowry disputes and male aggression intended to inflict “social death” upon women.

Survivors Declared Persons with Disabilities

The Supreme Court ruled that acid attack survivors who suffer permanent sensory or physical impairments qualify as Persons with Disabilities under the law.

The court held that such survivors are entitled to official disability certificates and must be granted disability quotas in employment, educational institutions and state-sponsored welfare programmes.

Call for National Acid Survivors’ Rehabilitation Fund

The court recommended that the federal and provincial governments establish a National Acid Survivors’ Rehabilitation Fund through specialized legislation.

It further called for:

Comprehensive medical coverage to finance reconstructive surgeries and specialized physical therapy;

Mandatory access to professional trauma counseling, psychotherapy and psychiatric care to address depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and social isolation;

A monthly stipend for survivors who are unable to financially support themselves due to the severity of their injuries;

Formulation of National Rehabilitation Guidelines to ensure free, lifelong medical and mental health treatment at both public and private healthcare facilities.

The Supreme Court emphasized that acid attack victims require sustained institutional support to restore their dignity, mobility and economic independence, and directed the authorities to take concrete steps in this regard.