THE targeted attack on a doctor in Quetta demands capital punishment for perpetrators, expansion of burn care infrastructure, and a nationwide awareness campaign — without delay. On 5 June 2026, Dr Mahnoor Nasir — a dedicated physician serving the people of Quetta — was targeted in a cowardly act of violence that has shaken the conscience of the nation. An assailant hurled acid at her, inflicting severe burns across 13 per cent of her body, including her face, abdomen, thighs, and right hand. She is currently receiving treatment at the Aga Khan University Hospital in Karachi. As she endures the agony of recovery far from home, Pakistan must ask itself one hard question: how long will we allow this barbarism to continue unpunished?
Acid attacks are not crimes of passion — they are premeditated acts of terror, designed to destroy lives while leaving the victim breathing. They are instruments of control, intimidation, and punishment, overwhelmingly directed at women who dare to rise above the expectations of their oppressors. That the victim is a doctor — a woman who devoted her life to healing others — makes this crime especially sinister. It is an attack not merely on one individual, but on the very idea that educated, professional women have a right to exist and serve with dignity in Pakistani society. When we allow such crimes without the severest consequence, we are complicit in the next attack.
The demand for capital punishment: We call upon the Federal Government and the Provincial Governments of all four provinces to urgently table a bill in the National Assembly and respective provincial assemblies proposing capital punishment for all those convicted of committing, financing, or ordering acid attacks. Pakistan’s Acid Control and Acid Crime Prevention Act of 2011 was a legislative step forward, but fifteen years of evidence confirm it has failed as a deterrent. Sentences of life imprisonment have not stopped perpetrators — and the grievous injuries of Dr. Mahnoor are living proof. Every co-conspirator — the supplier of acid, the financier, the abettor, and the one who throws — must face equal and maximum punishment under the law. Deterrence only works when the cost of crime is certain, swift, and absolute.
A healthcare infrastructure that fails survivors: Pakistan, a nation of over 230 million people, has fewer than 12 fully functional specialised burn care centres, almost all concentrated in Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, and Peshawar. Balochistan, where Dr. Mahnoor was attacked, lacks a single dedicated burn unit — forcing victims to undertake exhausting, life-threatening journeys at their most vulnerable moment. This is a national emergency. Every Federal and Provincial Budget must allocate dedicated funds for at least one internationally accredited burn centre per province, equipped with burn ICUs, reconstructive surgeons, wound care teams, and psychological rehabilitation services. The State owes this not as charity, but as a fundamental duty of care.
The imperative of public awareness: Equally urgent is a sustained, government-led and NGO-supported national awareness campaign on first-response steps following an acid attack. Immediate flushing of the affected area with clean water for a minimum of 20 minutes, removal of contaminated clothing, and rapid transportation to hospital can mean the difference between partial recovery and lifelong disfigurement. Every minute lost is tissue destroyed forever. This campaign must reach schools, mosques, community centres, and social media in Urdu and all regional languages, so that no citizen is left without this life-saving knowledge.
Dr. Mahnoor Nasir chose medicine to give life. Pakistan’s institutions must now choose justice to protect hers — and every woman who follows in her courageous footsteps. Three demands are non-negotiable: enact capital punishment for acid attackers and all accomplices, build the burn care infrastructure this nation desperately needs, and launch a relentless nationwide awareness campaign from this day forward. A civilised state is judged by how fiercely it protects its most vulnerable. Pakistan cannot afford to fail this test again.
—The writer is contributing columnist.
