Articles and letters may be edited for the purposes of clarity and space. They are published in good faith with a view to enlightening all the stakeholders. However, the contents of these writings may not necessarily match the views of the newspaper.
Motorway gang-rape
It is extremely shameful that an incident like this can happen in the country at a time when the Prime Minister keeps assuring us that his aim is to transform the country into something resembling the Riyasat-e-Medina. And what is even worse is that no one in the higher hierarchy unequivocally condemned the most insensitive remarks by CCPO or the much-delayed response by the police. Only the new IG acted responsibly, saying that a security guard can’t tell his masters to take care of their own security. Some years back, the Chinese government had sacked a police officer for smiling at the site of a serious bus crash.
Neither is this sort of insensitivity uncommon among Pakistani leaders. A comprehensive report titled ‘A few most-publicised rape cases in Pakistan’ published in the News International on September 13, details other gang-rapes in Pakistan, with some where the heads of states actually aided/abetted the criminals. Additionally, in the case of Sui company lady doctor, the then President Pervez Musharraf had uttered words to the effect that some people can get raped in order to gain emigration abroad, for which shameful remark he was admonished by the Canadian Prime Minister. My wife believes that this is the curse of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui – who Gen. Musharraf handed over to Americans – which has caused his misery.
With higher ups, even presidents/dictators/PM feeling and acting the way they do, how can such ghastly crimes be eliminated in the country. Even in the present case, the CCPO has been issued a show-cause notice which is a mere formality. Nobody will be punished for delayed police response, or for the leakage of sensitive information which enabled the culprits to escape. Instead, the officers will be praised for their efficiency.
S R H HASHMI
Karachi
Rape culture on the spike
The spine-chilling news of the gang-rape of a woman on Lahore Motorway has yet again sparked nationwide outrage. It makes us feel sick to the core just by thinking how could humans be so inhuman and rape a helpless woman that too in front of her children. It is hard to believe that the incident took place not in any wilderness but on a busy motorway. The news broke out a day after a five-year-old girl Marwah from Karachi was raped and murdered cold-bloodedly. These heinous cases are escalating unprecedentedly and make us question time and again; are we really living in Islamic Republic of Pakistan? What is the future of security of women and children in Pakistan? Why our government and forces have failed miserably to address and tackle this grave issue? Hence, such incessant incidents have robbed off the confidence of women and have left us prone to developing social fear and anxiety. As per Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, an incident of rape occurs every two hours. This categorically shows the frequency of rape in this Islamic society. However, there are punishments under Hadood Ordinance like public lashing or stoning the perpetrator to death publicly. Unfortunately, most of the cases are either unreported or unsolved, let alone punishing the culprits. The root causes of burgeoning rape culture need to be figured out and effective measures should be taken to curb it. It is high time the women and children are empowered to protect themselves. Women should be trained for self-defence and keep themselves equipped for such condition.There must be public execution of the rapists so that everyone knows the repurcussion of this vicious crime.
BAKHTAWAR BIJARANI.
Shikarpur
Notice to aid reliant countries
I am not an advocate of international aid to poor countries. I also understand that international aid may foster dependency. As the UK plans to slash foreign aid to plug black hole caused by Coronavirus, it should give enough notice and reasonable transition period to countries that firmly rely on aid so that they can come up with a strategy and adjust effectively to the new reality. The aid should not just be cut immediately as this may cause havoc to the recipient countries and this sound harsh and inhumane.
Cutting the budget immediately without notice or grace period will make Britain look cruel when in actual fact these countries have been helped by UK for so long. The level of appreciation will therefore be immediately eroded by immediate cut of the budget. Even though there is some theory that international aid fosters dependency, there are genuine countries that make effective use of aid and are unfortunate in terms of resources. These countries may experience extreme poverty and persistent hunger due to geographical location, natural disasters such severe drought and floods.
It should always be appreciated that foreign aid strengthens global peace, security and governance. It builds greater stability and more effective and accountable governance through addressing the underlying causes of conflict and insecurity; maintaining a sharp focus on prevention; tackling crime and corruption; and supporting transparency, capability and trust in institutions. It also promotes global prosperity, tackle extreme poverty, help the world’s most vulnerable and support a strong and resilient international system.
HANDSEN CHIKOWORE
London
