The government has taken an initiative to ban toy guns but what they really need to bam is the sale of acid. This needs to be done in order to prevent a number of hate crimes. 

It’s impossible and impractical to shut down the production of acid. Acid is a vital ingredient in several products we use daily. But its availability in the market should be reduced and precautions should be taken when selling. It should be compulsory to bring a prescription for the purchase, which states the reason of why you need it. The main aim should be to make sure it’s not sold to people who intend to use to for revenge. 

The victims of acid attacks are rising. Women especially are becoming the main targets by men, who have severe anger issues. The most common cause is the rejection by women. Family members are also prone to do this. 

Acid is extremely dangerous and causes both external and internal damage to the body. It burns through the skin and leaves permanent scars. It agonising for the victim to be constantly reminded of what happened. 

In cases of both men and women, the most common place of attack is the face. This is especially devastating to women whose most prized possession is destroyed. It becomes physically and emotionally painful. 

Uneducated and animalistic men with fragile egos cannot be easily changed, but laws can be introduced. These laws can make it hard to buy acid and come up with severe punishments against the guilty. 

ARBIA JAVED,  

Karachi, June 30.