Two lives, different coverage

Justice is/should be blind regardless of the nature of the crime and the class of the victim and the criminal.

So should be the media, the watchdog of the government, pillars of the state, and overall society.

But it rarely happens that the media becomes the voice of the voiceless and gives power to the powerless.  Consider two identical cases: the Naseem Bibi murder case and the Noor Mukadam case. The two cases where helpless women were murdered mercilessly by their captors got the attention of the media as well as the society disproportionately.

I googled to find the latest update on the Naseem Bibi murder case and found the last post published by any media outlet was on July 28. The case got me shell-shocked when I first saw the video of Naseem Bibi sitting on the ground by a bush with the lifeless body of her toddler baby. Moreover, a deep gash on her neck was visible. Later on, I read the detail of the incident on a TV channel’s website on July 24. The story of the helpless Naseem Bibi, who was a street beggar, goes here.

According to Shamim Bibi, the sister of deceased Naseem Bibi, they lived with their uncle in the Rawat area of Rawalpindi, and given their below poverty level, they lived on begging on Rawalpindi streets. On July 24, when they were out on Chak Beli Bazaar, a young man of the area took Naseem and her toddler son to some unknown place. When Naseem did not return after two hours, and Shamim spotted the man who had taken Naseem with him, she with her uncle launched a frantic search for her sister and the toddler. Within hours they found Naseem Bibi with blood on her body in the jungle area of Mahuta Mohra. The suspect first raped Naseem and later attacked her and her child. The child was killed on the spot, whereas Naseem suffered deep wounds. She later died at the District Headquarters Hospital, Rawalpindi. The suspect was arrested the following day, thanks to the hectic and selfless efforts of the police. The next day, the issue remained a top trend on Twitter with hashtag #JusticeforNasee.

Now, the case is forgotten and no one knows at which stage is the case.

Let’s examine the murder case of Noor Mukadam.

The case began with a single-column news story that dubbed it a small, usual incident. The media reported that the daughter of a former diplomat was found killed on July 20 in a house in upscale Sector F-7/4 of Islamabad. The deceased was identified as Noor Mukadam, 27, daughter of Shaukat Mukadam. As soon as the details rolled in, the nation went into a coma. The police said the alleged murderer, a scion of a big businessman’s family, called Zahir  Jaffer slaughtered Noor after shooting at her. Initially, the media, as well as the police, called the alleged killer “a son of a leading businessman of the country”.

I googled the Noor Mukadam case and found that every media outlet had covered ball-to-ball commentary-like incidents. Civil society activists arranged vigils for the deceased. Crowd-funding was launched across the globe.

The latest news was that a district and sessions court judge in Islamabad has denied a bail petition by the parents of Zahir Zakir Jaffer. The police arrested Zakir Jaffer and Asmat Adamjee, the parents of the suspect, and household staff of Zahir for “hiding evidence and being complicit in the crime”. Every hearing of the case is a leading news story for hourly TV and a front-page news story for all leading newspapers. The media even covered the statement of the family of the suspect:

“The Jaffer family extends its deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of Noor Mukadam. We pray her soul rests in eternal peace. We know that no amount of time will bring back the joy you have lost nor ease your pain.

“Our shock and grief at this horrific act has led to a prolonged silence that we very much regret. However, we categorically condemn this atrocity and forever denounce Zahir and his actions”.

The statement and the manner in which it was issued evoke sympathy among the readers for the suspect’s family.

The media is sensitive to the Noor Mukadam case and for all right reasons. We need to cultivate our minds and rituals to such a level where every woman regardless of their status, caste, creed, and looks feels safe. But it should treat all cases of injustices without any biases. The same treatment is expected from civil society and other watchdog groups.

It is hoped that the media will follow Naseem Bibi’s and her nameless toddler’s case vigilantly.

At the end of the day, every human’s blood has the same colour, if not the same value.