#Pakistan - Women-Victims of Violence and Sexual Assault

By: Azhar Azad Mughal

The daughters of this beloved Islamic country of ours are are feeling precarious and vulnerable due to growing cases of violence and sexual harassment in one form or another at the hands of their counterparts in this so-called state of Madina. We come across many such tragic stories and painful incidents on daily basis while going through newspapers due to which the hearts of sensitive souls like us do bleed.The wolves of evil doers are roaming freely to inflict on damage to the weaker and innocent segments of society to satisfy their urge and lust at their whim. 10 years’ old innocent angel like child Farishta hailing from Khyber Pakhton Khawah was abducted,molested and murdered mercilessly,and thrown into the bushes.Despite frequent visits of the grieved father at the police station for the particular purpose of lodging genuine grievance and complaint of her missing child,the father’s all efforts went in vain due to apathy,laxity and negligence of law enforcement personnel.If timely action had been taken,the loss of life at the hands of wolves would have been averted.It is no exaggeration to mention here that law is hostage to a few influential and wealthy people who have been issued licences to do whatever they want to at their whim.The state no doubt weakens in case of selective justice.When the state badly fails to apprehend and send behind the bars the criminals,looters of national exchequer,involved in embezzlement,irregularities,kickbacks,notorious scams,how will the country reach the pinnacle of progress and prosperity,and compete in the comity of nations?

The rising wave of violence against Farishta like women exposes failure of the writ and supremacy of the law of the land. If law is not enforced in letter and spirit,such gruesome incidents will occur unabated.The women folk does not enjoy safety and protection in this state of the pure,which is gross violation and breach of not only human rights but also moral, social values and religious ethics.No body can feel the trauma and pain of the parents and family members are undergoing.What is badly needed is to ensure the rule of law and dispense justice to the underprivileged and weaker sections of society at all costs come what may.Unfortunately,law takes its due course if the interests of the privileged and mighty hands are in danger.In case this exercise continues,it will certainly have negative consequences and repercussions.

The innocent blood of Farishta at the hands of the monsters develops worrying sceniro for the women folk of my beloved country.The inaccessible and poor grieved parents demand justice,which is rare and costly. Instead of realizing their irresponsibility out of sheer negligence,the police’s leveling of baseless allegations of eloping is akin to having salt on their wounds.It was the strong voice of the protesters in the capital after which interior ministry and the concerned quarters uncovered their masks from their faces,opened the closed eyes and took serious notice of the matter keeping in view the security of the matter.Why do the state organs play the part of silent spectators and not act on their own?This is the query that is frequently asked by the general public?This is not the first incident of its kind and nature.The present PTI-led regime which come in power in the wake of slogan of change has to bid farewell to the law ” might is right” and instead has to implement laws of decency,justice,fairplay and transparency in order to usher in a new era of enlightenment and welfare. The women are not destined to suffer at the hands of ugly and nasty faces.The culprits of this heinous crime must be dealt with severely and given exemplary punishment in the light of the law of the land.