Trigger warning: This is a dreadful story about sexual violence.

What happened to this woman?

She arrived at a Lahore park with six companions to film the I-Day celebrations for her TikTok account. A mob of young men started to attack them when they sought refuge in a nearby enclosure at the Minar-e-Pakistan—a national monument. But the men scaled the gates and proceeded to sexually assault the woman—tearing off her clothes and throwing her in the air. According to her, the ordeal lasted 2.5 hours. The police did not respond to frantic calls for help. And video clips—taken by the men who were participating or watching the violence—soon went viral. (We are not embedding the stomach-turning video, but it can be accessed here. Sometimes it is important to bear witness… so it’s your choice.) 

The FIR: She initially did not report the violence. But once the clips went viral, she was approached by the police. An FIR was then registered under sections 354 A (assault or use of criminal force against woman and stripping her of her clothes), 382 (theft after preparation made for causing death, hurt or restraint in order to commit the theft), 147 (rioting) and 149 (unlawful assembly) of the Pakistan Penal Code. The police are now using the footage to identify suspects.

What she said: The survivor later spoke to reporters and said:

“Yes, I went there for a while, I wanted to go there, I am not forbidden from going there just because I am a YouTuber or a Tiktoker. But nobody had the right to strip me naked. A woman’s life ends when such a thing is done publicly to her. My body was being played with and tortured. My body is covered in bruises. What did I do to deserve this?... The clothes I wore were not vulgar. I have never made a vulgar video or worn a vulgar outfit. I was wearing a proper dress that I had specially made for the August 14. All my clothes were removed before I could get a grasp of what was happening.”

And this is a pattern?

This latest instance of violence against women comes on the heels of a horrific murder—where a 27-year old woman was held capitve, tortured and then beheaded by the son of a business tycoon. The case received enormous attention because Noor Mukadam was the daughter of a prominent diplomat, and the murder took place at the suspect Zahir Jaffer’s residence—in one of Islamabad’s most exclusive neighbourhoods. What was most shocking: Despite hearing her cries, the security guards at his home did not call the police, but instead chose to inform his parents—who in turn tried to reach his friends and therapists!!  

And that is only one of many such recent incidents:

• A wealthy landowner beat and strangled his wife in Hyderabad in July.
• Six men armed with guns assaulted a couple, forcing them to strip and perform various acts. 
• Last year, in September, a woman was gang-raped in front of her children on a highway in Pakistan.
• Raza Ali—a police constable with a history of domestic violence and drug addiction—opened fire on his family, killing his wife and injuring two of his four children. But the police have done little in this case since the victims are from a poor family.

Data to note: Here are some grim stats about the condition of women in Pakistan:

• Pakistan ranks 153rd out of 156 nations on the Global Gender Gap 2021 index put together by the World Economic Forum. In South Asia, it ranks seventh among the eight countries—with Afghanistan coming in at the bottom. FYI: it placed 151st out of 153 in 2020.
• In a Thomas Reuters Foundation poll in 2018, Pakistan was rated as the sixth-most dangerous country for women.
• The Human Rights Commission Pakistan (HRCP) recorded 430 cases of honor killing in 2020, involving 363 female victims. 
• The Punjab Police have registered 53 cases of gang rape in the first four months of 2021 in one province alone.

Quote to note: Activist Leena Ghani said after Mukadam’s murder:

“We are all tired of sending our prayers and thoughts every time a case happens. Noor’s case is not an isolated incident. I don’t want any more women to be an example. What we are facing is a gender terrorism epidemic. Why should the Noors of this country have to give up their lives for us to learn a lesson about gender-based violence.”

What is the government doing?

Various ministers and ruling party leaders have condemned these barbaric assaults—including the latest in Lahore. Though Prime Minister Imran Khan has not spoken out as yet. Rather, Khan has been condemned as a “rape apologist” for various comments on violence against women. For example, when asked by Axios if he was “rape victim blaming,” he said: “If a woman is wearing very few clothes it will have an impact on the man unless they are robots. It’s common sense.” Watch the clip below:

A stalled law: A telling example of the state of affairs in the country is the current fate of a domestic violence bill:

• The law—which is the first to recognise and impose strict punishments for violence against women and children—was passed by the National Assembly in April.  
• When it reached the upper house (the Senate), members demanded it be sent to a human rights committee for review. 
• It still managed to get past the Senate, and all that was required was presidential approval.
• But now the Prime Minister's parliamentary affairs advisor has asked that it first be reviewed by the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII)—claiming that “the bill contravenes the Islamic (injunctions) and way of life as enshrined in responsibility of the state.”
• Why this matters: The CII has often opposed legislation aimed at protecting women. And it even proposed a law that would allow men to “lightly” beat their wives.
• And as one women’s rights activist notes, “the CII is not involved in the formation of other laws, but somehow always seems to be given a say when the matter at hand concerns women’s rights.”

The bottomline: At the height of the second wave, many Pakistanis spoke out in solidarity with Indians. Perhaps we can return the favour with our Pakistani sisters?

Reading list

The Print and Indian Express have the most details on the mob assault in Lahore. The Diplomat has two excellent pieces on the state of women’s rights in Pakistan here and here. CNN did a very good report on the Noor Mukadam murder. The Guardian has more on Pakistan’s “gender terrorism epidemic.” Also worth your time: Maria Amir’s articulate and enraged op-ed in Dawn.