Assaulted province
While many Pakistanis sniff at the stories of rape conducted in India, they do not realize that the problem on this side of the border is no better. It may be worse, if some human rights activists are to be believed.
He should start by investigating the activities of MNAs and MPAs from his own party. Recently, it may be mentioned, a case against three sons of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz MNA Mian Farooq and five others who allegedly gang raped a girl was dropped. The victim stated last week that she was not interested in the prosecution of the accused.
The girl said she is unwilling to give a blood sample for a DNA test and stated in the affidavit that there is no need to carry out DNA tests on the accused. In perfect compliance, the police have therefore dropped the case.
The MNA in question then went on to say that the victim had “concocted the rape incident” and accused her of blackmail.
In any other part of the world, the police would have taken over the case and not stopped investigation since it had already confirmed through tests conducted that the girl had been gang-raped. The DNA tests would have established who her rapists were. It would have led to the arrest of those already identified by the victim. Not so in Punjab.
Local journalists say that the victim has withdrawn her complaint on pressure put on her family. Where was the Khadim-e-Aala in all this?
Why should we stop there? No progress has still been made in the September 2013 incident (one year has passed) when some unidentified persons raped a five-year-old girl and threw her outside a teaching hospital.
A watchman who found the girl unconscious with blood stains on her clothes moved her to Sir Ganga Ram Hospital. Doctors at the hospital examined her and confirmed that she had been raped repeatedly for more than an hour. Her tormentors were more than one.
The daughter of a Wapda employee, the girl was playing with her three-year-old cousin outside her Mughalpura home when she went missing along with her cousin. The kidnappers threw the girl on the green belt outside the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital and the boy near the Services Hospital.
A traffic warden found the boy weeping outside the Services Hospital and took him to the office of a private TV channel and then to the Child Protection Bureau.
The father of the victim called upon Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif to “publicly hang the criminals on the very spot where they committed this inhuman act”.
In response, the chief minister took serious note of the incident and directed police to arrest the culprits. So far, the Punjab police made one arrest and that too turned out to be a false lead.
The incidents of rape in Lahore may have risen over the past couple of years. Some of these incidents were highlighted by the media, most have not been reported. The ones mentioned here are only a tip of the iceberg.
In October 2013, a 14-year old girl was found unconscious near Expo Center near Jauhar Town where she was apparently dumped by her molesters. Her rescuers took her to Jinnah Hospital’s emergency room where an initial examination confirmed she was raped. No arrests so far.
In March 2014, a 19 year old from Karachi was raped and dumped on the roadside by some unidentified persons. The rescue services were informed that a young girls lying unconscious near Ghazi Road Lahore. The girl was rushed to a local hospital where tests confirmed she was raped.
In a statement to police, the girl alleged that she was lured by a woman named Rehana to Lahore and a man named Yousuf raped her for two days. Again, no arrests.
In July 2014, a three year old girl was gang raped in Green town area of Lahore. Unidentified persons raped the girl and fled after throwing her on the street. The girl was shifted to Jinnah Hospital. Again no arrests.
How long will this continue? Will the Punjab police only be used to attack protestors and journalists in Islamabad?
Published in The Express Tribune, September 15th, 2014.
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COMMENTS (10)
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This is shocking. The media of pak should do what the media in india are doing, they are reporting almost all rape cases, to try to encourage law reinforcements. It is funny how Pakistanis comment on the rapes in India, when its actually worse in Pak, especially when little street boys are getting raped too.!
This can happen to anybody's daughter or sister. What if this God Forbid were to happen to CM daughter or an MNA or MPA daughter. These three rapists will again rape somebody, because that is in the nature of these criminals. On Day of Judgment the rulers will have to answer.
Rape is a crime that occurs in every country culture and people of all religions. Important difference is law and order. Civilized countries do their best to prosecute rapists, women victims of those countries file complaints and co operate with police. South Asian countries taht we all claim to be of "Superior" culture stigmatize victims to the extent that they and their relatives try their best to hide the facts and in several cases rape is committed again
Police wont do anything, I think, now the media should follow up on these issues and pressurize the law enforcement agencies to take action. Please keep these stories alive dont let them fade away.
A much needed article.....lets hope someone reads it to Shahbaz Sharif.
Excellent and pertinent points raised. Where is khadim e aala? Where is the mighty police force, playing a role in history as the defenders of this corrupt democracy? In a society where rape is already stigmatised and victims shamed, the courageous few who dare to stand up and calll for justice instead of brushing it under the carpet should be lauded, encouraged and helped instead of being ignored, threatened and harassed. Where is khadim e ala? If he believes in democracy, he should work to deliver justice to these helpless victims and tackle the growing menace of rape head on to prove that yes, only in democracy are rulers accountable to their people. Until then, I say, down with this farce of a democracy with these corrupt blood sucking rulers at the helm.
The CM Punjab should order police to proceed with case against three sons of an MNA, failing which SC should take Suo Moto notice and issue orders. Had former CJ Iftikhar Ch been at helm this would most likely have been done.
@vaqas: well depicted bother,with live heart and mind
I hope all the defenders of the purity of pakistan will open there eyes and realize that their country is not a bastion of anything, rather a cesspool of crime, injustice and inhumanity. Your cries of we are holier than thou, are becoming hollower by the second. I dont remember exactly the handle of the guy who proclaimed that rape is virtually non-existent in this country and the west is all carnal lust and rape. Open your eyes mate, this is for you, just the tip of the iceberg, you and your kind are the reason why 5 year old girls are being raped with impunity. Stop defending your diseased way of life, understand the meaning of personal space and embrace the calling of live and let live..
In my opinion, rapists should be hanged.