It only takes 50 rupees to scar someone physically and emotionally for as long as they live. The unbearable ordeal even forced the reclusive house of law to forego neutralities and decry acid attacks as “bigger crime(s) than murder” in 2019. That highly concentrated acid is easily accessible in the market and the state still had to rely on the British-drafted Poisons Act 1919 for the regulation of its import and consumption has made the landmark approval of Sindh Regulation for storage, sale, and purchase of Acid Rules, 2022, all the more pertinent. It is, indeed, a day to be celebrated because thanks to the compassion of a few persevering activists, the government has been forced to open its eyes and realise it is no longer living in the Dark Ages. Anyone who douses a young girl in a corrosive liquid just because she dared to stand firm and challenge their authorities deserves to be made an example of. However, ours is a society that thrives on patriarchal notions and here, the fragile male ego cannot be trampled by “weak” females in the name of free will. That the same person who had earlier (hours ago, in some cases) professed to the matters of his heartstrings feels empowered to cause the victim a trauma that would continue to the day she dies tells a lot about how deep down in the barrel we lie. Simply empowering the regulation has never proven to be an answer in this part of the world. The law enforcement authorities, as well as the judiciary, now need to act in unison so that this revolutionary piece of paper actually manages to herald in a new tomorrow. We’ve already seen how historic laws prescribing 14-year jail term as punishment for the perpetrator and free-of-charge treatment to the victim failed to bring in any major difference on the ground because of the ease with which acid could be procured. It can only be hoped that with this plugged loophole, the horrific modus operandi would finally be pushed to some dusty corner of the record room, where it truly belongs. *