Sunday, March 16, 2014

Amina, Pakistan's Rape Victim: We should be ashamed

Eighteen year old Amina from Beet Meer Hazar village of district Muzaffargarh ended her life in front of the local police station of her village after denial of justice for being raped from a court. It is a state of shame for all of us as a nation. Not to mention how our rulers go to sleep in their spacious homes after such gruesome incidents?
Everyday we read and publish news about girls being raped in different parts of the country but very rarely do we read news about the rapists being ordered to death from their necks. In most of the cases the reason that leads to the release of the culprits is the medical report prepared from a government run hospital and presented by the police in concern court which states that the “victim was not raped.”
Same is the case of Amina, whose medical report stated that she was not raped. Courts have to go according to the files put up to them and files are prepared by the police or other investigative agencies. Police complains about the minor salaries they are paid and how they do not have enough money to even send their children to proper schools or get proper medical treatment for their ill children.
Then what is the solution? The solution lies in the right direction of our rulers. Till our rulers not realize that it is them that the people of this country have to follow in order to seek the right direction, there is no chance that we as a nation will get anywhere good. Our rulers have to become symbols for the local citizens. Our rulers should see the faces of their own children in the children of an average Pakistani. Our rulers should feel that it was their own daughter, Amina who committed suicide after being raped and was denied justice. Chief Minister Punjab, visited the family of Amina and shared his sympathies with them. It is indeed a great gesture. But gestures are not enough. Will he promise that he will not sleep in his private luxury home till justice is provided to the soul of Amina? It is not such a big demand to be asked from the Chief Minister who is the ruler of the province in which Amina was raped. Chief Justice Supreme Court of Pakistan has also taken notice of this incident which is another great omen. But will he order that any rape case that takes place in any province of the country should be decided within six months and that medical examination should be done from two private hospitals instead of government run hospitals. Will he also order that Chief Minister himself should be on board of every rape case that takes place in his province?
Today we are ashamed as a nation to see a first year old girl, a future of Pakistan, a poor soul, Amina burning herself to death after being raped and denied justice. Tomorrow we can feel proud to save another such incident from happening, if we take right steps in right direction and look at others children like our own.

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