#JusticeForMawrah: Celebrities voice their anger,demand justice

Last week, the burnt body of a five-year-old girl was found wrapped in a cloth on the property of a former milk plant in Karachi. The incident has sparked outrage on social media, with people demanding prompt justice for the child identified as Mawrah and her family.

With #JusticeForMarwah trending on Twitter for the past few days, many celebrities have taken up the cause. From singers and actors to cricketers, public figures have been expressing their disgust over cases such Mawrah’s, arguing that they could only be stopped if justice was delivered swiftly.

Singer Asim Azhar talked about how Pakistan should realign its priorities and put the safety of children first. "How many more angels like Marwah till we wake up? I’m sorry Marwah, yahan ye zyada tension hai ke kaun kaise kaprhe pehen raha hai, kaun kisse shaadi kar raha hai, kaun shia hai kaun sunni... bas kuch nahi hai tou wo insaaniyat (Here, people are more concerned about what kind of clothes women are wearing, who is marrying whom, who is Sunni, who is Shia. What's missing is humanity)," he said.

Actor Ushna Shah demanded that the authorities should put all their resources into capturing the perpetrators. "Every inch of investigative and forensic resource needs to be used to identify the monsters. This time, a hanging won't do! There needs to be a public and inhumane punishment. They are not humans. We live amidst demons. Set an example for the rest!" she asserted.

Yumna Zaidi alluded to the Kasur rape case, while demanding justice. "Another Zainab. Enough is enough. Raise your voice to get #JusticeForMarwah," she said.

Reiterating the same sentiments, cricketer Shan Masood stressed that silence is part of the problem. "High time we give this matter the utmost importance. We cannot lose our youth to such disgusting and inhuman acts. Keeping quiet is contributing to the issue. We must stand up to these cowards and take action. My heart goes out to you and your family, Marwah. #JusticeForMarwah," he penned.

Actor and activist Nadia Jamil, who has been vocal for years about children rights, stressed that the solution is a holistic, nationwide prevention campaign. "She was five.  The image we have of her is a smiling child holding our national flag. I have been asking to be heard, for seven years, since the Kasur tragedy. We desperately need a deep-rooted, widespread, national prevention/protection plan," she insisted.

Social media personality Shaniera Akram talked about how promoting equal rights for women in the country could be a good place to start from. "How can we expect men who have little to no respect for any female life to even think twice before raping, murdering and throwing a little girl's body into a pile of rubbish? Promoting equality and justice for girls and women may not be our answer but it’s a bloody good place to start!"