Punjab finalises bill to regulate sale of acid for women’s safety

LAHORE: In view of acid attacks on women, the Punjab government has finalised a bill to regulate the business of acid in Punjab.

Punjab Women Protection Authority chairperson Hina Parvez Butt had presented a bill in the Punjab Assembly as a private member bill – “The Punjab Acid Control Act 2025”.

Since it was a private member bill, the Punjab Assembly referred the bill to the Standing Committee on Home, which discussed and asked the Punjab home and law departments for their inputs.

After receiving updated draft bill from the home department, the standing committee has approved it and forwarded for tabling on the floor of the Punjab Assembly.

The draft law restricts every person from carrying out the business of acid without a licence. It instructs that no acid shall be sold to the person below the age of 18 years. The law has listed 30 types of acid.

The law suggests a person, who is doing the business of acid, before the commencement of the Act, shall, within 30 days of the commencement of the Act, submit an application on Form-I, for grant of licence, to the licencing authority, on payment of such fee as may be prescribed.

A person, who intends to carry on the business of acid after the commencement of the Act, shall be required to submit an application on a prescribed form for licence. The licence issued under the Act shall be person and place specific and it shall also contain the quantity of acid to be retained by the licencee at a time.

The draft law says an importer or manufacturer of acid, duly licenced under the relevant laws for the time being in force, shall also be required to be registered under the Act.

A licencee shall maintain a record of business of acid on a prescribed form and the record shall be shared with the licencing authority within one month after the end of a year.

The law says a container of acid shall contain the legible information printed conspicuously on it – name and kind of acid; name, address and licence number; volume and quantity of acid; manufacturing and expiry dates, if any; warning statement including the words “DANGEROUS/CORROSIVE” in red and safety precautions.

Whoever will contravene the provisions of the Act and the rules made thereunder or the directions regarding business of acid, he [violator] shall be liable to be punished with imprisonment which may extend to three years and fine which may extend to Rs500,000 and in case of non-payment of fine, he shall undergo for an imprisonment of three months.

The law says, an offence under the Act shall be cognisable, non-bailable, non-compoundable and triable by the court.

In case, negligence in business of acid resulting in any harm to human body or property is established, the licences shall be liable to be punished with imprisonment which may extend to five years but not less than two years and fine which may extend to Rs1m but not less than Rs200,000.

Published in Dawn, April 15th, 2025