Erum Jamal Tamimi
SHE put on her helmet, turned the key and chose independence. Then, a man with a fragile ego tried to beat her back into the shadows. Here is why the war on women’s freedom in Pakistan must stop. Imagine waking up on a crisp morning, grabbing your laptop, strapping on a protective helmet and riding out on a budget-friendly scooter to reach work or university on time. You are not starting a political crusade or a street protest; you are simply a young woman exercising your right to affordable mobility, self-reliance and complete control over your daily journey without burning half your earnings on rides or waiting for hours at unsafe bus stops.
Then, on Mazang Link Road, that illusion of a safe city is violently shattered. A male motorcyclist aggressively cuts you off, drags you from your scooter and delivers a blinding slap across your face. As you crash onto the asphalt, he rains merciless slaps on you, grabs your hair and slams your bag until your laptop shatters into pieces. By the time the assault ends, your nose is fractured, your face is bloodied and your sense of safety is torn to shreds. Why did this happen? When police arrested the primary suspect, Ghulam Mustafa, a telling detail emerged: he initially did not realise that the rider was female beneath her heavy jacket and helmet. The moment he realised she was an independent woman, his fragile ego collapsed into barbaric violence.This was not a routine road-rage incident; it was domestic tyranny spilling straight onto public streets. For generations, unchecked male dominance has taught men that physical aggression keeps women in line. To a misogynistic mindset, an independent woman on a scooter disproves the lie of female helplessness. His rage was a desperate attempt to reassert control, punish autonomy and warn every other woman to stay at home. Equally heartbreaking was the reaction of the crowd. Dozens of onlookers stopped, watched and did nothing while a daughter of this city was beaten in broad daylight. Public spaces belong to women as much as they belong to men and bystanders who stand by as passive observers become complicit in street violence.
For Pakistan to progress towards becoming a safe and civilised nation, our public roads must belong to everyone. Achieving this requires swift, uncompromising justice, without undue leniency or out-of-court settlements, alongside modernised security measures such as visible policing, functional streetlights, widespread CCTV coverage and rapid-response helplines. Above all, it demands a massive cultural reset in which society normalises female mobility and teaches young men that women in public spaces deserve absolute respect, space and safety. To every young girl across Pakistan reaching for her scooter keys today: do not back down. Do not let a coward with a fragile ego steal the independence you have fought to build. Every time you strap on your helmet and ride forward, you reclaim public space for millions of women who will follow. The streets belong to you.
The writer occasionally contributes to the national press. ([email protected])
