Daily Times

Sir: There have been disturbing reports from Faisalabad about a woman being gang raped by Panchayat members for marrying of her own free will. What is even more distressing is that the woman is complaining that the police are unwilling to register her complaint and initiate investigations into the matter.

Reports like this have emerged with increasing frequency in recent years, and it is the state that is to blame. The people are turning to barbaric legal systems like the Panchayat because of the inefficient legal system provided by the state. Apart from this, society is also to blame for its outdated and inhumane views on women. The gang rape in Faisalabad occurred because the Panchayat wanted to ‘teach the woman her place’, since she had violated societal norms by taking charge of her own life. This needs to stop immediately.

The government and the police need to do their job so that horrific incidents like this can stop and the people of Pakistan need to understand that women are also human beings who deserve the opportunity to live life according to their own wishes. There can be no societal or economic development in Pakistan until our women are emancipated.

ADNAN KHALID

Lahore

Published in Daily Times, December 31^st 2017.