A woman gang-raped for being out at 8 pm: The rise of ‘sexual barbarism’ in Pakistan

Pakistan’s problems are aplenty. It is gripped by one of its worst economic crises : Inflation is soaring and the country is running out of fuel and food. And now amid all the chaos, it’s facing nationwide protests over a brutal rape in Islamabad. Violence against women is prevalent in Pakistan, which is the second-worst country in the world in gender parity. The Islamabad horror has brought to the spotlight the rise in “sexual barbarism” in the country. The Islamabad horror A 24-year-old woman was with a male colleague in Islamabad’s Fatima Jinnah Park – known locally as F9 and often likened to New York’s Central Park – when she was confronted by two armed men on 2 February. They reportedly forced them toward a thicketed area in the park at gunpoint and then separated her. The men ripped off her clothes and raped her. According to the first information report (FIR), the attackers beat up the woman when she begged them to let her go and offered them money in exchange for her safety. When the survivor tried to raise her voice, she was beaten and threatened. Her attempts to run away were also foiled. The alleged rapists grilled her relationship with her colleague. When she responded, she was slapped. “My hair was pulled and I was thrown on the floor,” the woman said in her statement to the police, according to CNN.

Later, the alleged culprits returned “all our things and gave us Rs 1,000 to stay quiet” while also telling the victim that she should not be in the park at this time of the night, according to the FIR, reports Geo News. A forensic checkup of the victim confirmed bruises consistent with sexual assault. Meanwhile, suspects are being traced through CCTV footage. Investigation officer Mumtaz Habib said that the probe was still on, adding that they have conducted raids to arrest the prime suspect, but “no progress has been made yet”. [caption id=“attachment_12148462” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Pakistan is the sixth most dangerous place in the world for women to live in. AFP[/caption] The protests spread The rape has triggered protests across the country, where women are often exploited. Women’s rights activists are demanding swift justice for the survivor. Demonstrators have poured into the streets to raise their voices against the incident. The Fatima Jinnah Park has turned into a protest site. Hundreds have tied their dupatta to the railings of the park, condemning the rape and demanding change. According to the CNN report, one note read, “Please don’t let another sister suffer”. “Save the women and kids of Pakistan,” read another. Pakistan’s National Commission on the Status of Women (NCSW) wrote a letter addressed to the Islamabad police chief, expecting a fair and diligent probe by the capital police into the case. “It [The commission] took grave notice of the incident reported in news in which a girl was gang-raped at gunpoint in F-9 Park,” the letter said. Some expressed outrage on Twitter. Journalist Sana Jamal wrote, “Horrified to hear of rape at gunpoint in F9 park which is full of families and kids esp on weekends. Why our public spaces are not safe for all citizens? Why is there no security at Islamabad’s biggest park?” Pakistani women’s rights group Aurat Azadi March said in a statement, “There is an increasing sexual barbarism in Pakistan, and criminal silence on it by the state and society is unacceptable.” “We are enraged. We are in pain. And we will not let this be forgotten,” it added. [caption id=“attachment_12148522” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Graphic: Pranay Bhardwaj[/caption] The censorship As protests spread, the Pakistan government ordered television channels not to report on the alleged rape, citing the need to protect the woman’s identity last week. The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) issued a notification regarding the ban on coverage of the rape incident citing irresponsible coverage by a “few” channels revealing the victim’s identity in the process. “It has been observed with grave concern that few satellite TV channels are airing reports with regard to a rape incident in F-9 Park Islamabad wherein the identity of the rape victim has been revealed which is in violation of clause 8 of PEMRA Electronic Media (Programmes and Advertisements) Code of Conduct-2015,” the notification read. The rape laws In 2020, the country approved a new anti-rape law that included the setting up of special courts to speed up trials and chemical castration of serial rapists. The legislation requires courts to conclude trials of alleged rapists and issue verdicts within four months. It also introduced a three-year sentence for police officers found to be negligent when probing rape cases. The new law was introduced after a woman was gang-raped in front of her children after her car broke down in Lahore in September 2020. But two years on, the violence against women continues. The numbers tell a dark story. Pakistan’s rape crisis Pakistan has a dismal record when it comes to protecting women’s rights . It is the sixth most dangerous place in the world for women to live in. A woman is raped in Pakistan every two hours, according to a survey conducted by the Pakistani channel SAMAA TV’s Investigation Unit (SIU) last year. “Newly collected and compiled data showed that as many as 21,900 women were reported to have been raped in the country from 2017 to 2021. This meant that around 12 women were raped across the country daily, or one woman every two hours,” said the survey. According to the surveyors, these reported cases could be just the tip of the iceberg since societal stigma and fear of retributive violence prevent women from reporting the incidents to the authorities. The data showed that in 2017, some 3,327 cases of rape were reported. This jumped to 4,456 cases in 2018 and 4,573 cases in 2019. The numbers dipped to 4,478 cases in 2020 before rising to 5,169 cases in 2021, the report said. In 2022, as many as 1,301 cases of sexual violence against women were heard in 44 courts in Pakistan. The police filed charge sheets in 2,856 cases. But only four per cent of the cases went to trial, the report said. [caption id=“attachment_12148542” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Graphic: Pranay Bhardwaj[/caption] Pakistan has a population of 107 million women and apart from sexual assault, physical violence is also common. According to Pakistan’s Ministry of Human Rights, which cited the country’s Demographic and Health Survey (2017-2018), around 28 per cent of women between the ages of 15 and 29 have experienced physical violence. The Annual World Report 2022 by Human Rights Watch said that extensive rights abuses against women along with children were reported in Pakistan which ranks 167 out of 170 countries on the Global Women, Peace and Security Index. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News , Trending News ,  Cricket News , Bollywood News , India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.