KARACHI:
In our society, women are regularly subjected to violence and abuse. Most incidents go unreported and only a few make it to the media. The recent heinous incident in Faisalabad is yet another blood-curdling episode. A final-year medical student was abducted, molested and videotaped by a business tycoon, his daughter and a few others. Although the law enforcement agencies have managed to put the culprits behind bars, the victim will likely be coerced to retract her statement, or the tycoon will pay the victim and police off. However, the judicial branch can make a significant difference by giving exemplary punishment.
Many women are unable to report cases of violence because of a lack of access to the right resources. Vulnerable victims are often coerced into not reporting their experiences of violence. Women experience different forms of torture daily and are excluded from financial and legal affairs. They are married without their consent and if they reject or refuse to marry, they are physically assaulted and manhandled.
The frequency of such cases is increasing at an alarming pace. There is a dire need to root out such violent tendencies from society. Unless the root cause is addressed and justice is served, another hashtag in some other case will resurface sooner or later.
Muhammad Aftab Ahmad
Faisalabad
Published in The Express Tribune, August 20th, 2022.
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