KARACHI:
Pakistani women live under constant fear of violence and abuse perpetrated by the opposite gender. The sitting government has not done anything to ease the anxieties and fears of women. Such a state of affairs became more evident by the horrific murder of Noor Mukadam. Many women revealed that they had lost sleep after witnessing the terror that the latest wave of violence has brought about — it is a never-ending nightmare for many.
During Imran Khan’s electoral campaign in 2018, women were at the forefront of political rallies. A large proportion of those who voted for Imran Khan — now the Prime Minister of Pakistan — are us women. Yet, our calls for justice have fallen on deaf ears. We were promised a ‘Naya Pakistan’, but our rights and our safety are being blatantly disregarded. We are hurt, saddened, and shocked by the current situation. Yet there has been no response from the government to relieve us of this trauma. No measures have been taken to ensure women’s safety and protection. To add to that, Prime Minister Imran’s comments on women’s choice of clothing actually encourages perpetrators even more. It has given more traction to sexist and misogynistic rhetoric, emboldening many who hold such regressive views.
I ask just one question: is there no place for women in Pakistan? If there is, we need more than words. We demand action. We demand protection of women and we demand it now.
Farina Alam
Lahore
Published in The Express Tribune, July 29th, 2021.
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