Daily Times

In Pakistan, almost every day brings miserable news of an innocent child being abducted, sexually harassed, raped, and or subsequently killed. The country’s population is on a futile extent and issues like these are increasing to a dangerous level. The more the population grows, the more social evils get risen day by day. The year 2019 recorded more than 1,300 rape cases in which children were either victimized, abducted, raped, or murdered. The rarity of these crimes against the twenty-two-hundred-thousand population can not be justified in any way.

While the ill-mindedness in the society is on its peak, there seems no one to rescue innocent children from getting targeted for such heinous crimes except the Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs, Ali Muhammad Khan. The bold resolution passed by him in the National Assembly got passed and received a massive response from the general public. However, few fellow ministers rebutted the ‘public hanging’ element of the resolution. Insofar, it seems that they are divided on the question of hanging the perpetrators whether in public or ‘not hanging’ the perpetrators at all. If else, what is the definite solution and who is there to present a plausible punishment to those who are responsible for inhumane torture and deaths of the future generations of Pakistan? Why don’t they step up and take a practicable action against those upon whom the crime is already proved?

Well, there is a genuine solution to it and that lies in the hands of lawmakers of the state. But unfortunately, due to a whole division in the law-making strata, no one is willing to take staunch steps to bind the vicious actions of perpetrators. Every next breath a rape survivor takes is a liability on the person who needs to break the barrier i.e. to get involved in law-making, implement it in a way that shall prove to be horrific for every prospective rape accuser.

It is people’s cry on every media to make such a law but, all in vain. The social media hashtags are interchanging every day from one name of a child being victimized to another. Recently, CCTV footage circulated on twitter showing a young boy aged around ten being sexually harassed by an elder boy in the hall of a madrassa or a mosque. The accuser can easily be identified by the administration but in view of other such cases, (the cases which were taken to court) show very disappointing results. Preceded by that case, a ten-year-old in Mansehra was raped a hundred times by the madrassa teacher. That case is already proved in all aspects against the teacher who raped the kid several times along with his fellows, but there are no concrete convictions being carried out so far.

This dilemma leads to begetting many questions regarding the role of religious factions of the ‘Islamic Republic of Pakistan’. One, whether any of religious factions raise their voice against such violence or do they remain silent spectators? Second, do Pakistan as an ‘Islamic Republic’ follow Islamic rulings in such cases? Third, what case studies are already present in other Muslim countries and what do they do in such cases; what did Iran do with the accusers of these crimes?

Nonetheless, the mourners of these victims are not only the respective families but in fact the whole of humanity. Sadly, one may ask “what makes it so a minor issue that nobody cares for until it happens to them?” If sensibly thought, does the solution lie in quarreling about ‘public hangings’ or bringing the accusers in the court of law, and giving them the ‘just punishment’ which they deserve? The answer surely is making waves in the mind and hearts of the readers. “Do I dare disturb the universe? In a minute there is time, for decisions and revisions which a minute will reverse.” – T.S. Eliot.

The writer can be reached at @naqashmuneer