British surgeon is set to spend £50,000 of his own money to rebuild the scarred faces of Pakistani women left disfigured by acid attacks

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A British surgeon is spending £50,000 of his own money to rebuild the horrifically scarred faces of women who were left disfigured after acid attacks in Pakistan.

Asim Shahmalak is currently helping six victims on his self-funded mercy mission - including one young mother who was doused in her face by a man whose marriage proposal she turned down.

The woman suffered such gruesome injuries her three-year-old son initially refused to live with her because he was afraid to look at her scars. She will initially undergo an eyelash transplant on her left eyelid to help with her treatment.

Former NHS surgeon Dr Shahmalak, 56, who was born in Karachi but moved to the UK after qualifying as a doctor, is best known for his work with celebrities such as model Calum Best and Gogglebox's Chris Steed.

Asim Shahmalak, a former NHS surgeon, is currently helping six victims on his self-funded mercy mission - including one young mother who was doused in her face by a man whose marriage proposal she turned down

Dr Shahmalak previously helped Kanwal Qayyum, 29, who lost her nose after being doused with acid (left) while she slept by a jealous friend. Surgeons spent 10 years painstakingly rebuilding her face including remodelling her nose with tissue from her thigh (right)

Kanwal (pictured before the attacks) said: 'I can't thank the doctor enough. He completely transformed my face and I love my new eyebrows and new eyelashes'

'I wept when I heard their stories'

The father-of-two, who lives in Cheadle, said: '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.'

'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.'

Who will receive the help? 

As well as the aforementioned victim Sidra Kanwal, other patients Dr Shahmalak is helping on the trip include Sana Naz. The 24-year-old lost both of her eyebrows and most of her eyelashes in an acid attack by a former male friend.

One of the patients that Dr Shahmalak is helping is Reshma Rashid, who wasn't an acid attack victim. She lost both of her eyebrows when a gas cylinder exploded

Waqar Ali, 22, who lost his left eye, eyelid and most of his left eyebrow after being doused in acid last year, and Niaz Bano, 52, who was attacked with acid after a family row 10 years ago will also receive assistance. 

He is also helping patients hurt in accidents including Arzoo Iobal, 20, who suffered serious facial scarring and lost most of her left eyebrow after collapsing on a hot plate following a fit. 

Other patients are Reshma Rashid, 42, who lost both her eyebrows when a gas cylinder exploded and Salma Hanif, who was left with one eye after a cooking accident. 

Dr Shahmalak's background 

Dr Shahmalak, who lives with his wife Rubina, a GP, was introduced to the patients by the Karachi-based charity Depilex Smile Again whose founder Masarrat Misbah has worked tirelessly to help victims of acid attacks.

As well as carrying out the transplants, Dr Shahmalak will help to train local doctors and technicians in his techniques so that his work could carry on at local hospitals on his return to Britain. 

One of the women he helped previously was Kanwal Qayyum, 29, who lost her nose after being doused with sulphuric acid while she slept by a jealous friend. 

Surgeons have spent the past 10 years painstakingly rebuilding her face including remodelling her nose with 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.'

Dr Shahmalak, who was born in Pakistan but moved to the UK, will also provide assistance to Salma Hanif, who was left with one eye after a cooking accident

Other patients that will receive surgery include Sana Naz. The 24-year-old lost both of her eyebrows and most of her eyelashes in an acid attack by a former male friend

Waqar Ali, 22, who lost his left eye, eyelid and most of his left eyebrow after being doused in acid last year, will also receive help from Dr Shahmalak

THE WOMAN WHO WAS DOUSED IN ACID AFTER REJECTING A MARRIAGE PROPOSAL

Victim Sidra Kanwal was attacked by a 22-year-old man who had asked to marry her days before. 

She turned down the proposal because it would have taken her away from her family - but it angered the man and caused him to threaten to commit suicide.

But he refused to take no for an answer and confronted Sidra on her way to work at a clothes factory in Karachi, Pakistan.

He told Sidra that if she wasn't going to marry him, he will leave her unable to marry anyone else, before throwing acid over her face.  

Sidra Kanwal is pictured before (left) and after (right) the horrific attack

Sidra said: 'I felt severe pain and my heart stopped beating for a few moments and I couldn't breathe.' 

Her attacker was quickly caught and is in jail, but Sidra's ordeal was far from over. 

The acid - which can be bought for as little as 15p a bottle with no questions asked in the streets near where she was attacked - seared her nostrils together.

It means that the only way she can breathe through her nose is through a white plastic tube which she wears all the time. 

She added: 'I cry all the time - this tragedy has distanced me from my beloved son. He ran away and refused to talk to me. He seemed afraid of even looking at me. I have been stripped of my identity.'