Daily Times

The 32-year sentence handed to a Karachi father for raping his daughter is a rare flicker of accountability in a justice system shrouded in shadows. While the verdict offers a semblance of closure for a survivor who endured years of abuse (even bearing a child from her torment) it lays bare a grotesque reality: Pakistan’s culture of silence nurtures predators within the very walls meant to protect children. That the victim’s mother pressured her to bury the crime, choosing “honour” over her daughter’s humanity, underscores the moral rot festering in our homes and institutions.

Pakistan’s epidemic of familial sexual violence thrives on complicity. According to child rights group Sahil, 70% of reported child abuse cases involve perpetrators known to the victim, with fathers, uncles, and brothers among the most common offenders. Yet, for every brave soul who dares to speak, countless others suffocate in silence. When a survivor steps forward, the first question they face is rarely “How can we help?” but “Why did you ruin this family?”

Legislative strides like the Anti-Rape Act (2021) and Zainab Alert Act (2020) promise harsh penalties and expedited trials. But laws alone cannot dismantle the machinery of impunity. Cases drag on for years, police stations lack basic gender-sensitive protocols, and medical evidence gets mishandled with chilling regularity. A 2022 study by the Aurat Foundation found that 60% of survivors withdraw complaints. Meanwhile, perpetrators with influence or wealth manipulate a broken system, evading consequences while survivors are retraumatized in courtrooms and corridors of power.

The state’s failure is magnified by societal apathy. Police dismiss complaints as “private matters,” courts subject survivors to humiliating interrogations, and shelters remain as scarce as empathy. In villages across Punjab and Sindh, survivors face a Kafkaesque nightmare: legal aid is nonexistent, and communities rally around abusers, not victims.

The Karachi verdict must ignite more than headlines; it must force a reckoning. Pakistan’s courts must prioritize survivor safety and anonymity, rejecting delays that embolden predators. Police and judges require urgent training to handle cases with humanity, not hostility. Above all, society must confront its hypocrisy-preaching “family values” while enabling abuse. Schools, mosques, and media must redefine honour as justice, not silence, teaching boys empathy and girls that their bodies are not bargaining chips. *