Pakistan, June 29 -- This week's sentencing of a man in Okara to 14 years in prison and a fine of Rs8.1 million for throwing acid on his former mother-in-law and her minor son affirms that Pakistan's courts can deliver justice but justice alone will not end acid violence.

The attack, carried out in 2017 after a rejected marriage proposal, left both victims permanently disfigured. However, the fact that it took eight years to reach a conviction reveals how slow and uneven the path to accountability remains for survivors of such horrific crimes.

Still, the court's decision deserves clear recognition. By handing down a substantial sentence under the Anti-Terrorism Act and relevant sections of the Pakistan Penal Code, it demonstrated that a...