The ghastly coward acts of acid attacks on women in Pakistan are on the rise. The reasons range from one bizarre to another mind-numbing behind these horrific crimes – jilted lovers throwing acid on the face of the lady or if a woman refuses a marriage proposal. But there is one man, who is determined to give the women with brutally scarred faces a new lease of life. Meet Asim Shahmalak, a British surgeon who is on his self-funded mission to rebuild faces of six victims. He is spending £50,000 from his own pocket and is working towards bettering his special patients’ life.
Asim Shahmalak, a Karachi-born moved to the United Kingdom after becoming a doctor. The 56-year-old surgeon is known for working with model Calum Best and Gogglebox’s Chris Steed. The father of two began his life mission to help these women after hearing the heart-aching stories. Among the six victims is a young woman who was thrown acid by a man whose marriage proposal she turned down. There is another lady, who was left with painful disfigured face after being doused with acid while she slept by a jealous friend.
The doctor was quoted saying by Daily Mail, “I wept when I heard their stories. Being doused with acid because you turned down a man’s marriage proposal – people were treated better in the Middle Ages. They had given up hope of ever getting help because the Government in Pakistan cannot afford to do anything for them. We were their last hope. They are not accepted by society because of their disfigurement. They cannot get jobs and, in some case, they have been disowned by their families and left to beg on the streets.”
Former NHS surgeon Dr Shahmalak was introduced to the acid attack victims by the Karachi-based charity Depilex Smile Again whose founder Masarrat Misbah has worked tirelessly to help victims of acid attacks. The noble-hearted medical practitioner says, “Helping to rebuild their faces is some of the most rewarding work that I do. Just seeing their smiles after the surgery makes it all worthwhile. There is so much more work to do. I am just glad that I am able to make a difference to these people’s lives. This is payback time for me for the fantastic medical training I received when I was growing in Pakistan which I have used for the benefit of patients in the years since in the NHS and in my private clinic.”
Meet his patients: 29-year-old Kanwal Qayyum lost her nose after being doused with sulphuric acid by her disgruntled, jealous friend as she slept. Surgeons spent ten years painstakingly rebuilding her face including remodelling her nose with the tissue from her thigh. Dr Shahmalak created new eyebrows and eyelashes for her, and she said after the treatment: ‘I cannot thank the doctor enough. He completely transformed my face, and I love my new eyebrows and new eyelashes.’
24-year-old Sidra Kanwal lost both of her eyebrows and most of her eyelashes in an acid attack by a former male friend. 22-year-old Waqar Ali lost his left eye, eyelid and most of his left eyebrow after getting attacked by acid previous year. 52-year-old Niaz Bano was attacked with acid after a family row 10 years ago.
Among other patients of Dr Shahmalak who are not acid attacks victims but face severe burns injury are Reshma Rashid and Arzoo. 42-year-old lost both of her eyebrows when a gas cylinder exploded. The 20-year-old Arzoo suffered serious burns on face and lost most of her left eyebrow after collapsing on a hot plate following a fit. Another is Salma Hanif, who was left with one eye after a cooking accident. We hope the Good Samaritan Shahmalak is successful in his goodwill mission.
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