Fakhra Younus (; 1979 – 17 March 2012) was a Pakistani woman who was the victim of an

acid attack An acid attack, also called acid throwing, vitriol attack, or vitriolage, is a form of violent assault involving the act of throwing acid or a similarly corrosive substance onto the body of another "with the intention to disfigure, maim, tortu ...

, which severely injured her face. She underwent 39 surgeries during a 10-year period. She committed suicide at age 33.

Biography

Younus was a dancer in a

red-light district A red-light district or pleasure district is a part of an urban area where a concentration of prostitution and sex industry, sex-oriented businesses, such as sex shops, strip clubs, and adult theaters, are found. In most cases, red-light district ...

in Pakistan, when she met her future husband, Bilal Khar, the son of

Ghulam Mustafa Khar Malik Ghulam Mustafa Khar (; born 2 August 1937) is a Pakistani politician and feudal lord who has previously served as the Chief Minister of Punjab and Governor of Punjab. Early life and education He was born on 2 August 1937 in Sanawan in ...

, who himself is a former

Governor A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...

and

Chief Minister A chief minister is an elected or appointed head of government of – in most instances – a sub-national entity, for instance an administrative subdivision or federal constituent entity. Examples include a state (and sometimes a union ter ...

of Pakistan's largest province,

Punjab Punjab (; ; also romanised as Panjāb or Panj-Āb) is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia. It is located in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising areas of modern-day eastern Pakistan and no ...

. They were married for three years, with Younus eventually leaving him after she claimed he physically and verbally abused her. She further claimed that he later visited her in May 2000 and poured acid on her, in the presence of her 5-year-old son from a different man. Khar claimed that the attacker was someone else with his name. He was acquitted of all charges in the incident. Younus was sent to

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

, Italy, for treatment by

Tehmina Durrani Tehmina Durrani (; born 18 February 1953) is a Pakistani author known for her bestselling book My Feudal Lord, an artist, and a women's and children's rights activist. She is the current spouse of the Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif ...

, Khar's stepmother. Initially she was denied a visa, but under public pressure, she was allowed to leave for Italy. Durrani engaged the Italian cosmetic firm Saint Angelic and Italian government to treat her. Smile Again, an Italian NGO head by Clarice Felli entered Pakistan to assist in the care of mutilated women. In 2005 Younus published a memoir, ''Il volto cancellato'' (The Erased Face). Younus committed suicide by jumping from the sixth floor of a building in Rome, Italy. Her body was brought back to Pakistan by Durrani, and was wrapped in an Italian and Pakistani flag. The funeral prayer of Younus was held at Edhi home in

Kharadar Kharadar () is a neighbourhood in District South of Karachi, Pakistan. Kharadar and the adjacent communities of Mithadar and Jodia Bazaar together form what is regarded as the original core of Karachi. Etymology ''Kharadar'' literally means ''Br ...

. She is buried at

Karachi Karachi is the capital city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, province of Sindh, Pakistan. It is the List of cities in Pakistan by population, largest city in Pakistan and 12th List of largest cities, largest in the world, with a popul ...

, Pakistan, in the Defence area.

Legacy

Her attack, trial, and suicide received international attention, and highlighted the plight of acid attacks victims in Pakistan. There were 1,375 acid attacks in the country between 2007 and 2016;Hassan Abbas (February 28th, 2018).
In Pakistan, Acid Attacks Decrease But Challenges Remain
'. Media Matters for Democracy.
Archived
'. Retrieved February 18th, 2020. or some 153 per year; however only 56% are actually female victims or 85 per year. She was featured in a critically acclaimed documentary film about acid attacks, '' Saving Face'' (2012), which was awarded the nation's first

Oscar Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to: People and fictional and mythical characters * Oscar (given name), including lists of people and fictional characters named Oscar, Óscar or Oskar * Oscar (footballer, born 1954), Brazilian footballer ...

less than a month prior to her suicide. As a result of the awareness she helped raise, acid attacks have continuously fallen. "In 2016 and 2017, there were a total of 71 victims of acid attacks, whereas between 2018 and 2019, there were 62 cases related to acid throwing".Pakistan: Cases of acid attacks on women drop by half
August 4th, 2019. Gulf News
Archived
Retrieved February 18th, 2020. Additionally protections have been brought in for women including the very latest Acid and Burn Crime Bill (2017), which "offers free medical treatment and rehabilitation for acid burn victims, who often face lifelong physical and psychological disabilities". The film directly helped in such legislation being brought forward and passed by the parliament.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Younus, Fakhra 1979 births 2012 suicides 2012 deaths Pakistani victims of crime Acid attack victims Suicides by jumping in Italy Pakistani female dancers Pakistani dancers Khar family Violence against women in Pakistan Pakistani sex workers