Celebrities call out CCPO Lahore for victim blaming
The gang-rape of a woman on Wednesday night at the Lahore motorway sparked uproar across the nation with many expressing disillusionment over the safety of women in Pakistan. Many public figures immediately took to social media to demand prompt justice with some voicing their support for public execution for the perpetrators.
The outrage was further fueled by the controversial comments made by the newly-appointed police chief of Lahore Umar Sheikh. During an interview on Thursday morning, Sheikh had suggested that the victim should've been more prudent."What surprises me is that, being a mother of three (young) children and the only driver (unaccompanied by an adult male), why would she not take the GT Road that has population around it? If nothing else, she should have checked her fuel...," he said.
He was subsequently called out for victim-blaming with several netizens demanding his removal from the post. The celebrity fraternity also took notice of the ill-timed comments and criticised the victim-blaming mindset in the country.
Actor Osman Khalid Butt saw the CCPO's comments as an acknowledgment of the country being dangerous for women. "Tell me this did not chill you to the bone. This is an open admission that this country is not safe for women. And we should make peace with it," Butt said as he shared the video of the CCPO's interview.
Mansha Pasha stressed that in incidents such as these there are many to blame, none of whom is the victim." The first crime is committed by the rapist. The second by those who blame the woman. The third by the officials who do nothing. And the fourth by those who say nothing. The only one blameless in entirety is the victim," Pasha shared.
Ayesha Omar pointed out how she as a woman feels much safer in foreign countries. "And what if a woman needs to go out at night for an emergency. What if she or someone in her family needed medical help? I can walk on the streets at 1 am in other parts of the world and feel completely safe but just not in my own country, even inside a car," the Bulbulay actor shared.
Mehwish Hayat echoed the same sentiments noting that penalties would be useless unless the collective mindset is changed. "How come in Singapore women are safe to walk home alone even at 4am? Why can’t we have the same sense of security here?! Are we living in a civilised society or a jungle? Scream all you want about public hanging of rapists -nothing will happen till the mindset changes!" Hayat said.
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