Pakistan's top court orders survivor fund in landmark acid attack ruling

Pakistan's Supreme Court on Monday ordered federal and provincial governments to establish a national rehabilitation system for acid attack survivors, describing acid violence as a crime "worse than murder." The court directed authorities to provide lifelong medical care, compensation and social support to victims in a 14-page judgment authored by Justice Hashim Kakar.

What does Pakistan's Supreme Court ruling mean for acid attack survivors?

The ruling requires the government to create a National Acid Survivor Rehabilitation Fund through legislation. Survivors will receive monthly financial assistance and be included in employment and welfare quotas reserved for persons with disabilities. The court also directed dedicated public funding for reconstructive surgeries, physical therapy and psychological counselling.

What medical and social support does the court's judgment mandate?

The judgment requires authorities to fund reconstructive surgeries, specialized physical therapy and psychological counselling for survivors. The court stressed that victims often suffer a form of "social death" alongside physical injuries, making social rehabilitation programs equally essential. National rehabilitation guidelines must be developed to guarantee access to lifelong treatment through designated public funds.

To ensure implementation, the court ordered its registrar to send copies of the judgment to all high courts, the secretary of law and justice, the Parliamentary Law and Justice Committee, provincial law departments, the attorney general for Pakistan and all provincial advocates general.

What sentence did the acid attack convict receive?

The ruling came while dismissing an appeal by Abdul Mannan, convicted of throwing acid on Faisalabad resident Iqra Parveen. The court upheld his life imprisonment sentence and ordered him to pay one million Pakistani rupees ($3,500) in compensation. The case reinforces Pakistan's legal position that acid attacks are non-compoundable offences that cannot be dropped through victim forgiveness or family compromise.

The ruling follows the Quetta acid attack on Dr. Mahnoor Nisar

The judgment was issued days after a hospital employee allegedly attacked Dr. Mahnoor Nisar with acid while she was on duty at Civil Hospital Quetta on June 5. She sustained severe burns to her face, chest, legs and other parts of her body. Abdul Razzaq Tarakai, a ward attendant who shielded her during the attack, also sustained burns and has been widely praised for his actions.

Police said the suspect, a hospital lift operator, was killed in an encounter after attempting to flee. Dr. Nisar was later flown by air ambulance to Aga Khan University Hospital in Karachi, where she remains under medical care in stable condition.

What is Dr. Nisar's current medical condition?

Doctors found bilateral corneal opacities, a condition that scars the transparent surface of the eye, though her vision has been preserved. Plastic surgery and ophthalmology specialists have examined her, and while the burns appear superficial, a detailed assessment is still underway. The case drew nationwide attention and intensified pressure on authorities to strengthen protections for acid attack survivors in Pakistan.