Daily Times

FAISALABAD: If there was every any doubt about the patriarchy and misogyny that continue to haunt our society, CCTV footage captured from Faisalabad shows the gruesome murder of 18-year-old Mehwish who refused to marry her co-worker and thus challenged the very confines that continue to oppress women, and paid the ultimate price for it.

Mehwish worked in a bus company in Faisalabad, where her co-worker Abrar worked as a guard. Abrar approached Mehwish with a proposal which the latter refused, leading to her murder in cold blood five days ago.

The CCTV footage captures the incident in its entirety and provides a first-hand experience into the struggles Pakistani women face on a daily basis.

In the video, Abrar approaches Mehwish just as she is about to leave for home after work. He corners her and exchanges a few words with her at gunpoint, after which he opens fire and kills Mehwish.

The murderer then attempted to escape the crime scene, but his and Mehwish’s coworkers over-powered him and handed him to the police.

A first information report (FIR) was registered at the Sargodha Road police station, Faisalabad.

Mehwish’s story is made all the more tragic considering she was the sole bread-winner in her family, after the death of her father. Mehwish’s tragic fate, moreover, highlights how class and gender forces intertwine to oppress countless women in our society.