Violence against women

Unfortunately, rape and sexual abuse cases are on the rise in the country. The primary reason for this increase is the state’s failure to prosecute criminals involved in such gory crimes. A few months ago, a cleric was accused of raping a female student, in Pirwadhai. The criminal has a previous history of similar crimes and yet he was allowed to teach at a madrassa. What is even more surprising is the fact that even though the police collected DNA samples and other forensic evidence, they failed to deliver them to the forensic laboratory on time. It is important to mention here that we cannot blame social media applications for rising sexual crimes. These apps merely expose what is happening in the country. It is the failure of the government and the law-enforcement personnel who keep tolerating such incidents. Thanks to social media, this issue is being exposed. Even when such incidents are brought to the limelight, a few police officers are suspended and, later, transferred to another police station,. The focus should be on punishing criminals, instead of blaming victims.

Officers who fail to perform their roles diligently should be punished. It is unfortunate that such crimes have risen during the past three years, which has shocked many who had expectations from Imran Khan.

Malik Tariq Ali

Lahore