Mukhtar Mai and Jamshed Dasti

LAHORE: This is with reference to your report “Mukhtar Mai in Jamshed Dasti’s crosshairs” (June 30). My question to society is: how many times do women have to be raped for us to wake up and get them justice? For generations, women like Mukhtar Mai have fought rapists and their protectors, fearing death and harm to their families.  Jamshed Dasti, a PPP legislator, should be booted out of office. Most Pakistanis are too timid to take the risk of helping a battered woman. There has been a very superficial reaction to rape and mistreatment of Pakistani women. Most people’s sympathy is only skin deep — they continue to regard victims as second class citizens, condemned to their fate. Until this apathetic attitude changes and people in power stop protecting criminals, women will be raped, assaulted and abused.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 2^nd, 2010.