KARACHI:
Another day, another rape. When is it going to stop? The women of Pakistan need an answer. A few days ago, Bushra Rajpar, a 16-year-old college student, was abducted and gang-raped by five men in Gulshan-e-Hadeed, Karachi. Till now, the police have identified two men. No one wants such barbarians to live in this society. Chuck them out. Raping someone is worse than killing them, therefore the people who commit such acts should not be allowed to live.
It is apparent that sexual assault cases in our country are aggravating by the day. According to official statistics, at least 11 rape cases are reported across Pakistan everyday while over 22,000 rape cases have been reported to the police in the last six years. Such a deplorable situation depicts the fragile justice system in Pakistan. What is all the more shocking is that money mongers shut down the mouths of relevant authorities by filling their coffers with money. As a result, not only do the victims suffer but their families have to go through social and psychological trauma. Even though demands for justice on social media platforms end up highlighting the issue, there is lack of concerted action overall. Authorities need to spike up the process of justice for rape cases. To make justice accessible, it is pivotal to appoint sincere and sensible officials, lawyers and judges who are not afraid to act. The former Chief Justice of Pakistan, Saqib Nisar, set a commendable example by taking a suo moto notice on the Zainab case and ordering a death sentence for the accused.
Under Section 376 of the Pakistan Penal Code, when rape is committed by two or more persons in furtherance of common intention of all, each of them shall be punished with death or imprisonment for life without parole. Apart from focusing on enforcing strict punishments on the culprits, the need of the hour is to spread awareness and educate the community about rape culture.
Rimsha Habib
Okara
Published in The Express Tribune, February 19th, 2021.
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