Punjab Nayee Zindagi Programme for Acid Attack Survivors: Free Surgery, Counselling and Loans

An acid attack does not end in the emergency ward. Survivors face years of surgery, the cost of each operation, and the struggle to work again with scars that strangers stare at. Many families sell what they own to pay for the first year of treatment.

Punjab has a programme meant for exactly this, and few survivors know its name. We read the PSPA's Nayee Zindagi page on 8 November 2026. This guide sets out what it pays for, who runs it and how to reach it. We did not apply on anyone's behalf.

Nayee Zindagi pays for treatment, counselling and a way to earn

Nayee Zindagi means "new life". PSPA says victims are financially aided and rehabilitated at the government's expense, through skin grafting treatment, skill-building and interest-free loans for livelihood. The aim is a dignified, socially included life.

The programme page lists four objectives:

• Medical and psychological rehabilitation of acid attack victims.
• Protecting the social rights of survivors.
• Preventing social exclusion, so survivors can live with dignity.
• Reducing vulnerability through income: skill training and interest-free loans for a job or self-employment.

The PSPA runs it with the health department

The Punjab Social Protection Authority was set up under the Punjab Social Protection Authority Act 2015. It works under the Punjab Planning and Development Board. For Nayee Zindagi, it works with the Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education Department and bears the treatment cost.

That split tells you where to go. The hospital side is the provincial teaching hospitals, which fall under the Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education Department. The money and the rest of the support sit with PSPA. PSPA runs other schemes too, listed in our guide to PSPA programmes and who qualifies.

How to ask for Nayee Zindagi help

PSPA's page does not publish an online form or a list of papers for Nayee Zindagi. So start with a direct request to PSPA by phone or email, and keep a record of every call. These steps are our advice, built from what the page does say.

1. Call PSPA on 042-99231758, or email info@pspa.punjab.gov.pk. Say the words "Nayee Zindagi Programme" and that you are an acid attack survivor or family member.
2. Ask which hospital takes Nayee Zindagi cases for your district and who the contact person is.
3. Ask what papers they need. Keep ready the survivor's CNIC or B-Form, the FIR copy and the medical record from the first hospital.
4. Note the name of the person you spoke to, the date and any reference number.
5. Once treatment starts, ask about counselling, skill training and the interest-free loan. These are part of the same programme.

The FIR matters even if the attack was years ago. An acid attack is a separate crime under Section 336-B of the Pakistan Penal Code. A police record also helps any welfare body see that the injury is from an attack.

Other Punjab help a survivor can use

Nayee Zindagi is not the only door. A survivor with a lasting disability can get a disability certificate, which opens disability schemes. Small business loans and cash grants from other departments can sit alongside surgery support.

• Disability certificate: apply through the Punjab DPMIS portal. It is the first paper most disability schemes ask for.
• Interest-free business loan: PSPA's Income Generation Scheme for persons with disabilities, run with PSIC and Akhuwat. See our guide to the interest-free loan for disabled persons in Punjab.
• Cash aid: Punjab Bait-ul-Maal gives one-time help and treatment support. See Punjab Bait-ul-Maal online registration.

What PSPA's page does not say yet

The page gives the aims and the services, but no budget, no number of people helped, no cap on surgery cost and no time limit. Ask about each one on the phone, and do not pay anyone who offers to "get you into" the programme.

We could not confirm whether Nayee Zindagi currently has a waiting list or a fixed intake. The page also does not say whether survivors attacked before a certain year qualify. Ask PSPA both questions directly, and ask for the answer in writing if the case is urgent.

Common questions

What is the Nayee Zindagi Programme?

It is a Punjab Social Protection Authority programme for acid attack survivors. It pays for reconstructive surgery and offers counselling, skill training and interest-free loans so survivors can work again.

Is the surgery really free?

PSPA's page says victims are treated at the government's expense, including skin grafting. PSPA bears the treatment cost and works with the Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education Department.

How do I contact Nayee Zindagi?

PSPA lists 042-99231758 and info@pspa.punjab.gov.pk. Name the programme when you call and ask which hospital handles your district.

Can a survivor outside Punjab apply?

Nayee Zindagi is a Punjab government programme, and PSPA's mandate covers the poor and vulnerable in Punjab. A survivor in another province should ask that province's social welfare department.

Does Nayee Zindagi give a loan?

Yes. PSPA lists interest-free loans for a job or self-employment among the programme's aims. The page does not give a loan amount, so ask PSPA what the current limit is.

Do I need an FIR?

PSPA's page does not list the papers. We suggest keeping the FIR copy and the first hospital's record ready, because a welfare body will usually want proof of the attack.

How we verified this

What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.

Last checked 8 November 2026. The objectives, the four kinds of help, the work with the Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education Department, PSPA's legal basis and the contact details are from the PSPA Nayee Zindagi Program page. The steps to ask for help and the papers to keep are our own advice, because the page does not set out an application process.