Depilex Smileagain Foundation succeeds in getting approval on regulations for Sale of Acid by the Sindh Cabinet.

The Sindh Cabinet has approved the Sindh Regulation for Storage, Sale and Purchase of Acid Rules, 2022. The unregulated sale of a corrosive substance, such as acid, were highlighted by the Depilex Smileagain Foundation by filing a Constitutional Petition before the High Court of Sindh, through its counsel Mr. Rashid Mahar, Barrister Vishal Shamsi and Ms. Anushka Khan.

Depilex Smileagain Foundation is an organization formed by Ms. Masarrat Misbah, a distinguished cosmetologist and philanthropist of Pakistan who is a recipient of the Presidential Award for Pride of Performance. Depilex Smileagain Foundation has provided medical treatment and rehabilitation for over 760 acid and kerosene burn victims.

Depilex Smileagain Foundation brought to the attention of a division bench of the High Court of Sindh comprising of the Honorable Chief Justice, Mr. Justice Ahmed Ali Sheikh and Mr. Justice Yousuf Ali Sayeed, who sought reports from the Secretary to the Government of Sindh on any existing rules in relation to the sale, storage and purchase of acid. The Government of Sindh, convened a consultative meeting with a number of departments for determining if the rules on sale, storage, and purchase of acid existed, and it transpired that the rules under the Poisons Act, 1919 have not yet been framed.

The Home Department, therefore, formulated rules regarding the sale, storage and purchase of acid, which were subsequently approved by the Law Department. The Rules were approved by the Honorable Chief Minister of Sindh and were placed before the Provincial Cabinet for approval. The Provincial Cabinet approved the rules that will regulate and prevent the widespread accessibility of acid. The Rules will prove to be a first line of defense to combat acid related crimes.

The Poisons Act, 1919, was designed to prevent the crime of throwing acid on people, by regulation of the sale of acid.

The Rules provide a license requirement for specified persons to sell, store or purchase acid, and makes it mandatory for the license holder to maintain a register recording as follows:

S NO	DETAILS
01	Date of Sale
02	Name of the purchaser
03	Address of the Purchaser
04	CNIC copy of purchaser
05	Name of Acid Sold
06	Quantity of Acid Sold
07	Purpose of the Acid Purchase
08	Signature of the Purchaser.

Previously, no legislation existed in relation to regulating the sale and purchase of acid, and the corrosive substance was available on a widespread basis without any such regulation or control.

‘Depilex Smile Again Foundation’ rekindles another life.

‘Depilex Smile Again Foundation’, launched by Masarrat Misbah – Pakistan’s well-known beautician-turned-philanthropist, has once again rekindled another life – one of its burn victims aced his training in ‘Marketing and Sales’ by securing first position.

With a mission to provide the acid survivors with not only medical care and assistance but also an adequate chance to become productive, self-reliant members of the society, ‘Depilex Smile Again Foundation’ is committed to providing the acid survivors with the best they can.

“The foundation is proud of how their survivors have come out of the trauma in their lives and beat the society that has ostracised them”, said Masarrat Misbah on this auspicious occasion. 

“I can’t explain to you how proud I am today for this success and I wish him all the best for his future”, she further added while attending the graduation ceremony.

Launched in 1980 by businesswoman Masarrat Misbah, a messiah for acid burn victims – her salon chain Depilex has spread across the country. In 2005, she set up the ‘Depilex Smile Again Foundation’ to support burn victims, particularly survivors of acid attacks, with reconstructive surgery, counselling, vocational training, and jobs in her salons.