Two minor girls were allegedly raped in separate incidents in Rawalpindi areas, Naseerabad and Kallar Syedan. One of them is a seven-year-old girl.
The seven-year-old girl was playing with her brother on the rooftop of her house when a neighbour took her to his house where he raped her, the survivor’s father told the police.
According to the Investigating Officer (IO), after the incident, the girl was taken to the hospital where her condition worsened as a result of trauma.
A First Information Report (FIR) has been registered and the search for the suspect is underway.
In the second incident, a young girl was allegedly raped by a member of her own family who had come to stay at her house. Following the incident, her mother informed the police and a case was registered.
Punjab Home Minister Attaullah Tarar announced on Sunday that the Punjab government will declare an emergency following an increase in rape and sodomy cases in the province.
Will hold meetings with intelligentsia, academia, media, women’s rights organisations, members of civil society and declare emergency regarding rape and sodomy cases.
خواتین اور بچوں کے ساتھ ہونے والے جنسی زیادتی اور تشدد کے واقعات میں خطرناک حد تک اضافہ ہوا ہے۔ ایکشن ضروری ہے https://t.co/swL3vVq9lk
Tarar said that the increase in rape cases is a cause of concern for both society and government officials.
“Four to five cases of rape are being reported daily in Punjab due to which the government is considering special measures to deal with the cases of sexual harassment, abuse and coercion.”
Tarar said that to combat these issues, stricter legislation would be introduced along with a separate helpline dedicated to victims seeking out help. The number of DNA samples on a fast-track will also be increased. The Punjab Home Minister added that academia, women’s rights organisations, lawyers, and civil society will be consulted regarding this issue and the process will be completed within a fortnight.
He also urged parents to not leave their children at home unattended, as perpetrators of most sexual abuse cases were close relatives and neighbours. An awareness campaign will also be run in schools about sexual harassment, added Tarar.
The Current records the tally of rape cases that are reported in news outlets on a daily basis to highlight the alarming situation. We have used many different sources as listed. When will it stop?
Prime Minister Imran Khan on Sunday held an interactive session with the general public via phone calls in which he answered their questions and responded to their concerns.
During the session, while responding to a question about what the federal government is doing to curb the recent surge of rape cases and sexual violence especially against children, PM Khan instead of laying out his government’s plans blamed the rising cases on vulgarity.
“Purda ka hukm isi liye ha”
No! ‘Parda’ ka hukm is liye nahi hai! Purda was NEVER meant to avert temptation.
Quran says that no one will be answerable for another person’s sins. The idea that women hide themselves up so that men don’t commit any sin is against Quranic values. pic.twitter.com/2oBBcNiMF9
The premier’s comments caused an uproar on social media, prompting Pakistanis to not only bust myths related to rape but also call him out for his insensitive remarks. Some even shared their own personal experiences to make it more clear that why rape happens and why it is never okay to blame the victim.
Repeat after me.
The only one to be blamed for rape of a woman is “ The Rapist”.
In Sept 2020, I had to sit through a torturous hearing of a 20 yr old woman raped repeatedly by her own blood father for 8 years in Karachi East District and Sessions Court.
Pray tell more, how rape is about sexual desires of men towards children, that too their own.
— Zuhaib Ahmed Pirzada (@zuhaib_pirzada) April 5, 2021
To anyone channeling Prime Minister Imran Khan and thinking rape is because of ‘fahaashi’ or lack of ‘pardah’. No, rape is: NOT the woman’s fault, NOT because she was wearing less clothes and so she ‘asked for it’,
Dear @ImranKhanPTI rape is a result of power imbalance not temptation. Rapists control their urges when they’ve fear of retribution, accountability & conviction and when they’re made free from such fears due to gendered social structures just like ours they’ll even rape an infant
So easy to blame women and their pardah for fahashi, but don’t actually hold men accountable for being sexual perverts. @ImranKhanPTI – it’s not acceptable to victim blame almost 50% of your nation. Just not acceptable. https://t.co/tDcIOLumNq
Study found that “most convicted rapists could not remember what their victims were wearing.”
“In one study, 1 in 3 college men said that they would force someone to have sex if they could get away with it, and that has nothing to do with clothing.”https://t.co/EUbmz5nPJX
Still pushing the “rape happens because women show skin” discourse is sooooo lazy. Really, dude? After all the work, the research, the campaigns, the flipping logic, this is the conclusion you draw? Exercise some of that brain lard and then maybe we can actually talk solutions.
This is so common! It happens 2 school going girls, women.All of us. Using public transport/walking streets I wear my knapsack upfront. Its a shame. These streets belong 2 women as well. It will take persistence /perseverance 2 break this mould of self entitled toxic masculinity https://t.co/tjrSNzRAdP
A woman’s body belongs 2 her. Our bodies are sensitive & often women themselves are not given the mental freedom 2 understand how amazing & intricate our bodies are. No man has the right 2 force himself upon you. If you feel unheard, unseen, trapped & disrespected, find support
The federal cabinet has approved a law that proposes chemical castration as a punishment for convicted rapists.
In a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday, the Ministry of Law and Justice presented a draft of an anti-rape ordinance. The draft proposes a fast-track trial in rape cases, effective involvement of women in matters pertaining to gender-based violence, maintaining a database of serial rapists, and witness protection.
During the meeting, the prime minister said the government will not tolerate any lax attitude in the implementation of anti-rape laws and added that the safety of all citizens was the utmost priority of the government. The premier said the legislation will be clear and transparent with strict enforcement. He said the rape survivors will be able to register complaints without fear, adding that the government will protect their identity.
During the meeting, some ministers also proposed public hanging for rapists, but the premier postponed this suggestion for another time.
According to PM’s aide Senator Faisal Javed, the government needs to bring tougher laws to curb crimes against women. He said the new proposed legislation will be presented before parliament for approval.
It may be noted here that Pakistan reported over 120 rapes from Oct 12 to Nov 24, according to a tally kept by The Current. Legal experts say that the rape conviction rate in Pakistan can be as low as 2 per cent, so instead of bringing harsher punishments, the government must focus on strengthening its criminal justice system to punish such crimes.
From Oct 12-Nov 24: 123 rape cases and 11 death
“The conviction rate drops even lower in cases where a minor has been raped. That is one of the reasons that rape is rarely reported,” the experts observed. They blamed social stigma attached to sex crimes and the ‘abhorrently misogynistic attitude’ of many police officials for the underreporting of rape cases.
