Acid attack victims threaten legal action against broadcasting their faces in Pakistan

Islamabad, May 24 (ANI): Victims of acid attacks, who were shown in an Oscar-winning film, have threatened to seek legal action to block their facing from being broadcasted in Pakistan.

According to The BBC, the film, Saving Face, was feted around Pakistan when it won the Oscars in February.

However, relations between filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy and the victims used in the documentary have turned sour.

The survivors have said that they could be at risk of a backlash and even further acid attacks if the film is shown at home.

At the centre of the dispute is the question whether the survivors featured in the 40-minute film gave permission for their faces to be screened in Pakistan.

Lawyer Naveed Muzaffar Khan, who is representing the victims, said: "there was a consent form, but they have not agreed to the film being screened in Pakistan".

He said that legal notices have been sent to Obaid-Chinoy and a fellow producer Daniel Junge on the issue.

The lawyer added that if they fail to agree to withhold the film's release in Pakistan, lawyers for some of the women in the film would seek a court order to prevent it being screened.

However, Obaid-Chinoy insists that the women had signed legal documents allowing the film to be shown anywhere in the world, including Pakistan.

She said that one woman featured, Rukhsana, had already been edited out of the version to be shown in Pakistan out of respect for her concerns. (ANI)