If you cannot bring yourself to punish a single rapist, you are complicit: Maheen Khan

Pakistan's most well-known designer took to Twitter to publicly withdraw her support of PTI

Veteran fashion designer Maheen Khan took to Twitter on Sunday to announce that she no longer supports Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) due to the negligence of the ruling party with regards to the rising violence against women and children.

Khan tweeted, “I am now officially not a PTI supporter. If you cannot bring yourself to punish a single rapist, if you are not willing to protect women and children, if you continue to turn a blind eye, then you too, are complicit. [May] Allah forgive us all.”

I am now officially not a PTI supporter. If you cannot bring your self to punish a single rapist. If you are not willing to protect women and children ,if you continue to turn a blind eye then you too are complicit .ALLAH forgive us all

— Maheen Khan (@Maheenkhanpk) August 19, 2021

The designer’s tweet comes after a steep rise in the reporting of physical assault and sexual crimes against women and children.

In a previous tweet, Khan addressed the assault of a female TikToker by over 400 men during Independence Day celebrations at Greater Iqbal Park in Lahore. She wrote, “The fact that there are some good men who rescued the poor girl does not take away from the question of what has happened to humanity. Where is the respect laid out for women in Islam? Is the law, or lack thereof, encouraging men to publicly assault women?”

#minarepakistanincident
The factthat there are somegood menwho rescued the poorgirl does not takeaway fromthe question.What has happened to humanity. Where is the respect laid out forwomen in https://t.co/qBZlPb6a7k the law orthe lackof it encouraging mento publiclyassault women

— Maheen Khan (@Maheenkhanpk) August 18, 2021

The recent incidents of violence against women, which included the murder of Noor Mukadam, as well as the opposition to the domestic violence bill, led several prominent celebrities to take to Twitter to speak about the fear they feel as women in Pakistan.

Actor Mehwish Hayat tweeted about the shock she felt after hearing about the Minar-e-Pakistan news. She detailed how the mere presence of a woman in a public space is now enough to provoke men into committing violent crimes against her. The actor wrote, “Yet again, I’m left shocked and speechless. Any decent society should have dignity, security, and respect for women. Seems this doesn’t apply to us. Now a woman just being in a place is provocation enough for her to be groped. I sincerely fear for every daughter of Pakistan. God save us!”

The victim stated in her complaint lodged with the Lari Adda police station that she was filming a video near Minar-e-Pakistan on August 14 along with her friends when a mob of around 400 people attacked them. She alleged that the mob picked her up and started tossing her in the air. “I was stripped and my clothes were torn apart,” she said.