Every Pakistani who believes in equality of gender is proud of Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy’s Oscar victory.
Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy is the first Pakistani women film director who has honoured the nation, although it is a matter of shame for the nation that the Oscar winning documentary “Saving Face” is based on the subject which is one of the evils still existing in a male-dominated society of Pakistan.
Recently, the government has enacted a law against the acid attackers with 14 years to life imprisonment and one million rupees fine. Even after the passage of this law, a number of acid attack incidents have happened. It will be a test for the government and the law enforcement agencies as to how strictly they can implement the law for women protection.
According to the reports of Human Rights Commission of Pakistan and other NGOs, there are about two hundred incidents of acid attacks every year. The government should takes steps to control and register the sales of acid in the country, which is now freely available, to make it difficult for the individual to purchase it, and those who sell the acid to the attackers should be accounted as a party to this horrendous crime.
It is heartening to know that Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy has launched a campaign against acid attacks. One must also acknowledge the dedication of British-Pakistani plastic surgeon Muhammad Jawad who helps to restore the victim’s faces.
The other Pakistani plastic surgeons in Pakistan should also follows Dr Jawad’s footsteps to contribute in saving the faces of helpless victims of acid attacks.
LT-COL (Retd) JAVAID ANWAR
Ralwapindi
Winning Oscar may be a personal honour for the lady but not for Pakistan. The subject she chose was for the audience in the West who are always out to depict Pakistan a barbaric and terrorist state. But there are many good things in this country and some excellent stories of achievements and sacrifices of Pakistani women in the field of education, poverty alleviation and services during natural disasters. Documentries on such stories could have enhanced our country's image.
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