Sir: An outrageous incident of rape recently occurred in G-11, Islamabad when a merciless stepfather raped his 13-year-old daughter. The victim stated at the police station that her stepfather raped her several times. Besides this atrocity, he had married her elder sister and was insisting that they beg. The family basically hails from Sargodha and is a family of professional beggars. In Pakistan, cases of rape and domestic violence are common but the state is not serious about bringing the perpetrators to justice. The social mobility of women in our society has persistently deteriorated because these crimes are so frequent, rendering the victim alone in her torment. The feudal and jirga (tribal court) systems have also wrecked the socio-cultural life of women and girls but the government is dormant and does not take steps to control these miserable activities. I request Punjab Chief Minister Mr Shahbaz Sharif to take stern action against these culprits, at least in his province.
IMRAN KHOSO
Tharparkar