The victim is only scapegoated to seek revenge and make up for the ill desires and intent of the perpetrator
FAISALABAD: The panchayat system is deeply rooted in Pakistan to the extent where it operates along with the state implemented judicial system as an unofficial yet parallel justice system. There are many reasons as to why the panchayat system still strongly prevails in almost all the rural regions of the country. Geographical proximity of remote locations, cultural, social norms and values, linguistic issues and, most importantly, discontent for the official judicial system, dubbed ‘un-Islamic’ or against the Shariah law, are the common ones among many. Also, political figures hailing from rural settlements are not only often partisans to the system but often actively participate as members of the decision-making council, being the powerful influential of the area.
However, for the greater part of its history, the panchayat system has promoted injustice and unfair treatment of the poor and the powerless. The victim is only scapegoated to seek revenge and make up for the ill desires and intent of the perpetrator. Unfortunately, women are the ones used as scapegoats in most of the cases, as many of those victims are then given back to their aggressor or held as vani as a punishment. In either case, women are mostly the sufferers. The laws, however, remain ineffectual to halt the crime even partially because of the involvement of the powerful having their reach at the top of the judicial system and the government.
Samar Naqvi
Published in The Express Tribune, September 26th, 2017.
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