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  • Data: One year of rape cases in Pakistan

    Data: One year of rape cases in Pakistan

    Pakistan has been plagued by episodes of rape and abuse over the years that it has now become common to the extent that people have started normalising such acts.

    Back in 2002, Mukhtaran Mai’s gang-rape was one of the most horrifying gang-rape incidents that were reported.

    Another major incident that took place in 2014 was the Layyah gang-rape case, where a 20-year-old girl after being gang-raped, was found hanging from a tree. Such inhumane incidents haven’t stopped even now.

    A horrendous incident occurred on September 9, 2020, when a woman ran out of fuel on a motorway near Lahore. She was in the car with her two children.

    Two men stole her money and the jewellery she had on her. They then raped her in front of her two children in a nearby field and escaped.

    The incident sparked national outrage but what happened next? Before the arrest of the two culprits, questions like “Why was she out on the motorway so late without a brother or husband? Why didn’t she check her gas tank before leaving the house? And if she had to travel, why didn’t she take the more public GT Road route?” were asked because, sadly, in our country ‘getting raped’ is the woman’s fault. Apparently, a woman gets raped because ‘she was driving alone, on the wrong road, at the wrong time, in the wrong place’.

    Later, the motorway rapists were sentenced to death but rape cases continued to rise in Pakistan.

    On October 12, 2020, our team started counting rape cases on a daily basis from 13 different sources, which included these newspapers: Dawn, The News, The Express Tribune, The Nation, Pakistan Today, Daily Times, Nawa-e-Waqt, Daily Jang. And from these websites: ARY News, Geo News Samaa News Dunya News Aaj News.

    It is to be noted that the given stats only include the reported incidents, not the ones that go unreported.

    During the process, we have included reported rape cases of girls, boys, women, men and transgenders. Moreover, we have divided the rape cases province-wise, according to which Punjab till date has the highest number of rape cases, i.e. 936 rape cases and 44 attempted incidents.

    It has been a year since we have started posting our rape template daily to analyse the record of reported rape cases. We have collected the data of the entire year (October 12, 2020 to October 12, 2021) and prepared slides of reported cases of each month provinces-wise.

    Provinces Categorisation:

    Sindh

    Till date, Sindh has recorded a total of 60 reported rape cases in which 10 are attempted incidents. 11.6 per cent of cases were reported in the month of April and August as per the graph.

    Punjab

    Punjab has recorded a total of 936 reported rape cases in which 44 are attempted incidents until now. 13 per cent of cases were reported in August.

    Islamabad

    The capital has recorded a total of 13 reported rape cases which no attempted cases until now. The reported cases are relatively low as compared to other provinces’ data. However, 38.46 per cent of rape cases were reported in June this year.

    Balochistan

    Balochistan has reported a total of 11 reported rape cases. Most of the months show zero reported rape cases, according to the graph.

    KPK

    Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) has reported a total of 20 reported rape cases of which 2 were attempted incidents. The numbers throughout the months are quite the same.

    Deaths (province-wise)

    As per the graph, the death rate was high in the month of January i.e.14.5 per cent.

    Numbers of the recorded cases after the highlighted incidents of 2021

    After the following incidents, we noticed an increase in the reporting of rape cases.

    Mufti Aziz-ur-Rehman: sexual assault case

    On June 17, police registered a criminal complaint against Mufti Aziz after a male student accused him of sexual abuse. In the aftermath of a viral graphic video that showed Mufti engaging in sexual intercourse with the male student, who was the victim, the action was taken against Mufti Aziz. After the incident, we noticed an increase of 10.7 per cent in the reporting of rape cases in the month of June.

    Usman Mirza’s sexual assault on a couple

    Usman Mirza was arrested on July 7. He was seen torturing and assaulting a couple. He was also seen stripping naked a woman in the video. The video sparked outrage across Pakistan. After the petrifying incident, an increase of 9 per cent was observed in the reporting of rape cases in the month of July.

    Noor Mukadam’s murder case

    On July 20, Noor Mukadam, daughter of former Pakistani diplomat Shaukat Mukadam, was raped, beheaded and murdered, in a posh neighbourhood of Islamabad in July. Noor’s murder led to nationwide protests. After her murder, as per the reported cases we have monitored, there was an increase of 12.6 per cent in the month of August.

    There are many more cases that are still unreported due to various reasons.

    According to The News, official statistics obtained from the Police, Law, and Justice Commission of Pakistan, Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, Women’s Foundation, and provincial welfare agencies in 2020 revealed that there are at least 11 rape cases reported in Pakistan every day with over 22,000 rape cases reported to the police across the country in the last six years.

  • ‘PM Khan is the authority in appointing the DG ISI’: Fawad Chaudhry

    ‘PM Khan is the authority in appointing the DG ISI’: Fawad Chaudhry

    Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry on Tuesday confirmed the meeting between Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan and Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa held last night and said, “The PM and COAS had a meeting last night, the army and government share an ideal relationship.”

    “Gen Bajwa and the prime minister have close and good relations … they are ideal relations between the civilian and military leadership,” he said, adding that the Prime Minister’s Office would “never take a step that will disrespect the army and vice versa”.

    Commenting on the appointment of the Director-General (DG) of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency, Chaudhry said, “PM Khan is the authority in appointing the DG ISI,” further adding that “all legal methods will be adopted in the appointment of the new director-general”.

    It has been a week since Lieutenant (Lt) General Nadeem Ahmed Anjum was appointed as DG ISI, the post previously held by Lt Gen Faiz Hameed.

    On October 9, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif, calling out the government for failing to resolve public issues, said, “PM Khan is improper for the handling of sensitive matters,” adding that “history is a witness to sacrifices rendered by the institution responsible for Pakistan’s defence. Even Modi could not harm it the way Imran did,” reported Dawn.

    Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman said reports were circulating on media for the last couple of days about the army, which he said was an important institution for Pakistan. He hailed the “unity of command” and the public support the army enjoyed but went on to say that the premier had “harmed that institution”.

  • Ushna Shah hits back at troll for attacking Sonya Hussyn

    Ushna Shah hits back at troll for attacking Sonya Hussyn

    Actor Ushna Shah has slammed a troll who passed a derogatory comment for fellow A-list star Sonya Hussyn.

    A netizen tagged Ushna and said: “You know ye ghar sai baaghi hui hai.”

    Replying to the troll, the Balaa star said: “Haan meinay bhagaya thaa.”

    The two leading ladies often uplift each other with supportive comments.

     Ushna recently exposed a troll who publicly abused her on Instagram.

    The Bashr-e-Momin star while sharing the screenshot of the abusive comment wrote, “Bilal Khokhar Sahab, bazari Zuban toh apki parvarish mein sikhayee gayee. Toh phir yeh ilfaz aap se Aur apki tarbiyat karne waali se wabasta hei.“

    On the work front, Shah is currently seen in Hum TV’s drama serial Aakhir Kab Tak, opposite Adeel Hussain.

  • ‘I have receipts’: Mohsin Ikram blasts troll for stating Aiman sponsored Minal-Ahsan’s honeymoon

    ‘I have receipts’: Mohsin Ikram blasts troll for stating Aiman sponsored Minal-Ahsan’s honeymoon

    Entrepreneur and Minal Khan’s father-in-law Mohsin Ikram has responded to a troll on his Instagram handle. The netizen commented that Aiman Khan gifted the newly-weds free tickets to Turkey.

    He also challenged him to come up with proof.

    This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is WhatsApp-Image-2021-10-12-at-3.40.36-PM-1-1024x985.jpeg

    He also slammed a netizen for a mean remark in context to his social media posts.

    READ MORE: Netizens share their private chats about Minal Khan with Ahsan’s father Mohsin Ikram

  • ‘Find those who opened fire on my house,’ PML-N’s Khurram Dastgir tells Punjab govt

    Unidentified suspects opened fire on the side gate of senior Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Khurram Dastgir’s house Sunday night, he revealed in a press conference on Tuesday, reports Geo News.

    He called the firing incident a “failure of [the] Punjab government to enforce law and order” in the province.

    “You could not find the kidnappers of the presiding officers in the Daska by-polls. At least find those who opened fire on my house,” Dastgir said.

     “The firing on my house was a conspiracy to harass the Opposition,” said Dastgir.

    Dastgir also said that women and children were present inside the house when the incident took place.

    He said that no action was taken, despite the administration being informed about it.

  • Sahad fans express disappointment over ‘LSA’ winners, Sajal cheers Yumna

    Sahad fans express disappointment over ‘LSA’ winners, Sajal cheers Yumna

    Sajal Aly has sent love to Yumna Zaidi who bagged two awards for her drama serial Pyar Kay Sadqay, at 20th Lux Style Awards. The awards were given in 22 categories, which include music, fashion and TV.

    “Congratulations, Yumna, Ab tou Party Banti hay yaar,” she wrote in an Instagram story.

    The Kis Se Kahoon duo will soon be seen together in upcoming drama serial Ishq-e-Laa.

    Kis Se Kahoon on Twitter:

    Powerhouse performers Sajal and Yumna are the leading ladies of this ambitious project, penned by the veteran writer, Qaisera Hayat of Alif Allah Aur Insaan fame. It features debutant Azaan Sami Khan as the leading hero, along with Adnan Samad Khan of Ehd-e-Wafa fame.

    Ishq e Laa teasers are finally here - Cutacut.com

    Many fans of the Yaqeen Ka Safar pair slammed LSA winners list for not awarding Sajal and Ahad.

    The Mom diva while reacting a to a twitter trend that read, “We love You Ahad and Sajal,” has thanked her followers and supporters. “Wherever we are today is because of your support. We love you all.”

  • Urwa Hocane joins rumoured lovebirds Ameer and Mawra’s romantic getaway

    Urwa Hocane joins rumoured lovebirds Ameer and Mawra’s romantic getaway

    Actor Urwa Hocane was recently spotted with younger sister Mawra Hocane and her rumoured boyfriend Ameer Gilani in Karachi.

    “Sunday brunch-ing with my darlings,” wrote the Udaari star while posting a picture on Instagram.

    The Sabaat duo were also spotted at the 20th Lux Style awards oozing couple goals.

    On the work front, Urwa can be seen currently in Amanat , opposite Imran Abbas while Mawra is currently working in Hum TV’s Qissa Meherbano Ka opposite Ahsan Khan and Zaviyar Ejaz.

  • Anwar Maqsood reveals why he does not watch Pakistani Dramas

    Anwar Maqsood reveals why he does not watch Pakistani Dramas

    Veteran artist Anwar Maqsood revealed in a recent interview that he has stopped watching local television dramas due to the content being displayed. The Fifty Fifty writer expressed his disappointment in Pakistani dramas saying, “There are so many plays that even I can’t watch, ratings have ruined media freedom. The more shamelessness, pointless sentences and disrespect, the higher the rating.” 

    “Urdu literature doesn’t really have drama. We have a few, but strictly speaking, we can’t call them drama either. There are a few by Agha Hashar, there’s Anarkali by Taj Sahab, Khwaja Sahab’s dramas, but these dramas are such that if you’re watching them, on stage or on television, you enjoy them, but they don’t have a place in the library. We also don’t have much fiction in our literature. We had four to five people who’d write stories, who are all gone,” said Anwar in the interview.

    He went on to add, “New people aren’t coming in because these gadgets have taken away the love of reading and writing, people want everything from one single device. They don’t want to buy books.”

    The writer added, “No one is writing comedy anymore. Not one person. This is the case all over the world. You’ll find many serious writers, but not many who deal with comedy.”

  • ‘PML-N has seven concealed accounts, PPP has 12 hidden accounts from ECP’: Farrukh Habib

    ‘PML-N has seven concealed accounts, PPP has 12 hidden accounts from ECP’: Farrukh Habib

    The Elec­tion Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Monday allowed the ruling Pakistan Tehre­ek-e-Insaf (PTI) to inspect documents related to foreign funding cases against the Opposition parties, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), reports Dawn.

    Minister of State for Information and Broadcas­ting Farrukh Habib, while talking to the media, said that the PML-N had concealed seven accounts while the PPP had hidden 12 accounts from the ECP. 

    “We will bring to light the fake accounts of PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and PML-N vice president Maryam Nawaz,” the minister said.

    “Now we would not let them run away,” claimed the minister. “Both the parties used to take money from mafias,” he alleged. He also accused the PML-N of using party accounts for “money laundering”.

  • ‘Covid vaccination mandatory for naat khuwans, scholars in Rabiul Awal celebrations’: NCOC

    ‘Covid vaccination mandatory for naat khuwans, scholars in Rabiul Awal celebrations’: NCOC

    The National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) has issued coronavirus guideline for Rabiul Awal celebrations across the country. It is mandatory for religious scholars and naat khuwans to be fully immunised against Covid.

    At a meeting led by Asad Umar, it was decided that only licensed and government-approved rallies will be allowed.

    Here are other SOPs issued by the NCOC:

    • Strict implementation of SOPs at milads.
      It is compulsory for people to wear masks, use sanitisers, and maintain social distancing at celebrations.
    • Ulemas and naat khuwans to be fully vaccinated against coronavirus.
    • The government has urged media houses to run live transmissions of milads and other celebrations. This way more people will be able to take part in the celebrations without having to physically attend them.
    • Special vaccination camps to be set up on 10th Rabiul Awal.
    • Venues for milads and other celebrations should be open and airy.
    • A six-feet distance in seating arrangements should be ensured.
    • Thermal scanners to be set up at entrance points.
    • Sanitisers and masks to be provided at the entrance.
    • Health desks to be established at all venues.
      Only packed food to be distributed.

    Earlier, the Sindh government imposed a ban on pillion riding on Eid Milad-un-Nabi, the 12th of Rabiul Awal. It will be celebrated on October 19.

    Women, children below 12 years of age, senior citizens, journalists, disabled persons, law enforcers, and employees of essential services have been exempted from the ban.