Tag: sexual violence

  • Survey resurfaces: 40 per cent Pakistani men believe beating wife justified five years ago

    Survey resurfaces: 40 per cent Pakistani men believe beating wife justified five years ago

    According to a resurfaced Demographic and Health survey taken in 2018 by the National Institute of Population Studies (NIPS), around 40 per cent men agreed that a husband is justified in beating his wife.

    However, the reasons for beating were as follows: If she burns his food, goes out without his permission, neglects his children or refuses to have sex with him. Surprisingly, 42 per cent women had also agreed with the statement. Around 34 per cent women, the report reveals, had experienced spousal violence, whether it was physical, sexual or emotional.

    The report states that 28 per cent married women had experienced physical violence since the age of 15, and 15 per cent women had experienced violence in the past year.

    Up to seven per cent married women admitted that they experienced violence during their pregnancy.

    On experiencing sexual violence, six per cent married women had experienced sexual violence and the most common perpetuator was revealed to be the husband, while 14 per cent women who were divorced, seperated or widowed had experienced sexual violence.

    Moving on to financial stability and empowerment, the survey reported that only 19 per cent married women had been working in the past 12 months, compared to 98 per cent married men.

    Half of the married women who are employed and earned an income, made independent decisions on how to spend their earnings, while 41 per cent made joint decisions with their husband. 76 per cent of working women reported making less money than their husband.

    The survey also found that only three per cent of ever-married women owned a house, alone or jointly, compared to 72 per cent ever-married men.

    The survey sampled from all four provinces including Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, including Azad Jammu Kashmir and FATA. A total of 12,364 women between the ages of 15-49 and 3,145 men had participated in the survey.

  • Police find Mufti Aziz-ur-Rehman guilty in madrassa sexual abuse case

    Police find Mufti Aziz-ur-Rehman guilty in madrassa sexual abuse case

    According to the case record and police report submitted in court, Mufti Aziz-ur-Rehman was found guilty of raping a madrassa student in Lahore, reports Samaa.

    The suspect’s bail plea at the Cantt Court on Tuesday was heard by Judicial Magistrate Rana Arshad. The investigation officer requested that his bail request should be rejected.

    Magistrate Arshad summoned the lawyers of both parties for arguments and has adjourned the hearing till September 10.

    Previously, Mufti Aziz confessed that the video was not fake and said that he was secretly filmed by his student.

    The victim in his statement said that Mufti Aziz accused him of cheating in his exams after which he was banned from taking the exams for three years. Mufti Aziz then asked the student to “make him happy” in order to get the ban lifted.

    When the video of Mufti Aziz’s sexual abuse went viral on social media, he was arrested on June 16.

  • چیختے چلاتے مرد اور ان کی انا کا برج خلیفہ

    چیختے چلاتے مرد اور ان کی انا کا برج خلیفہ

    میرے خیال سے دو مہینے  ہو گئے ہیں ۔ میں روز جاگتی ہوں ،روز ایک عورت سے متعلق دل دہلا دینے والی خبر ہوتی ہے  ۔ میں اس خبر کے خوف میں رہتی ہوں ، واویلا مچتا ہے  ، بحث ہوتی ہے ، گرفتاری ہوتی ہے ، اور  اس کے ساتھ ہی سارا الزام عورت پر ہی  لگ جاتا ہے  ۔ اس پوری روٹین میں ایک دن بھی فرق نہیں  آیا ۔ میں اس پورے سلسلے میں ایک ہی چیز پر حیران ہوتی ہوں اور وہ ہے مرد کا چیخنا چلانا ۔  مطلب تشدد بھی عورت پر ہوا ، قتل بھی عورت ہوئی ، عزت بھی  عورت  کی لٹی ، لیکن واویلا صرف مرد مچا رہے ہوتے ہیں ۔ عورتوں کو ایک عورت کے بارے میں ہی بات کرنے کی اجازت نہیں کیونکہ وہ اجازت بھی شاید مرد ہی دینا چاہتے ہیں ۔ مرد کی چونکہ عزت کے خلاف ہے اپنی غلطی ماننا تو یہ قدرتی بات ہے کہ وہ روئے گا ، چلائے  گا ، اور عجیب وغریب دلیلیں بھی دے گا ۔ جہاں تک میں نے دیکھا ہے ، مرد کی برداشت کے 5 مرحلے ہیں۔ آپ چاہیں تو اس میں اضافہ بھی کر سکتے ہیں ۔

    پہلا مرحلہ ہوتا ہے جہاں مرد کہتے ہیں “دنیا میں پاکستان سے زیادہ عورت کی عزت کہیں نہیں ہوتی “۔ یہ ہمارے وزیرِ اعظم بھی کہتے ہیں ۔ جب ہم عورتیں یہ کہتی ہیں کہ کہاں کی عزت جب روز کسی عورت کی عزت لٹتی ہے یا عورت کا قتل ہوتا ہے تو  اس پر مرد کہتے ہیں ” ہم  اتنی عزت کرتے ہیں آپ کی  ۔ تندور پر جو قطار بنی ہوتی ہے ، ادھر ہم عورتوں کو پہلے روٹی دیتے ہیں “۔ یا پھر” جب عورت  اے ٹی ایم پر جاتی ہے  تو ہم اسے پہلے پیسے لینے دیتے ہیں ” اتنی تو  عزت دیتے ہیں ، تو  کیا ہوا اگر تھوڑا مار لیا یا قتل کر دیا؟ اور کیا چاہتی ہیں آپ، اور کیا حقوق  چاہئیں ہیں آپ کو ؟

    پھر مرد آتا ہے دوسرے مرحلے کی جانب ۔ اس میں وہ کہتا ہے پوری دنیا کے مقابلے میں پاکستانی عورت پاکستان میں محفوظ ہے ۔ جب عورتیں کہتی ہیں کہ کہاں محفوظ ہیں ؟ کبھی عورت کو کوئی ہاتھ مار جاتا ہے ، کبھی عورت پر 400 مرد حملہ کر دیتے ہیں ، کبھی عورت کے پیچھے گاڑی  لگ جاتی ہے ، کہاں محفوظ ہے؟ اس پر مرد حضرات کا جواب ہوتا ہے ” تو نہ جائیں باہر ” یا پھر وہ کہتے ہیں “ہاں  تو کچھ کیا  ہوگا ، کپڑے ٹھیک نہیں ہوں گے ، یہ نہیں ہوگا ، وہ نہیں ہوگا ” ۔ مرد اِس بات کو سمجھ ہی نہیں پاتے کہ عورت میں کچھ نہیں ہوتا ،ساری غلاظت ان کے ذہن میں ہوتی ہے ۔ سارا کا سارا  گند ان کے دماغ میں ہروقت رچا بسا رہتا ہے  جس کی وجہ سے نہ وہ سیدھا  سوچ پاتے ہیں اور نہ ہی کچھ سیدھا کر پاتے ہیں ۔

    پھر آتا ہے تیسرا مر حلہ  جس میں وہ کہتے ہیں کہ عورت نے خود کروایا ہے تاکہ وہ ملک سے باہر جا سکے ۔ یا پھر انڈیا نے فلاں فلاں کو پیسے دے کر یہ کروایا ہے تاکہ پاکستان کو بدنام کیا جا سکے ۔اور اس مرحلے پر مرد کی آواز کافی اونچی ہو جاتی ہے ، صبر کا پیمانہ لبریز ہورہا ہوتا ہے ، وہ سارا غصہ جو ان کو عورت کے “ہونے ” پر ہے، وہ اندر کھولنے لگتا ہے ۔ یہ کہنا غلط نہ ہوگا کہ “مرد ایک نازک موڑ سے گزر رہا ہوتا ہے” جدھر اسے ہارٹ اٹیک ہو سکتا ہے یا پھر گردے بھی فیل ہو  سکتے ہیں کیونکہ خدا نخواستہ وہ کیسے مان لے کہ غلطی مردوں کی ہے ؟

    چوتھا مرحلہ وہ ہوتا ہے جس میں وہ آپ کو یاد کرواتے ہیں کہ آپ کے ابو آپ کا بھائی یا آپ کا خاوند بھی مرد ہے ۔ صبر کا زہر پی کر  وہ آپ کو  کہتے ہیں کہ “اگر مرد اتنا برا لگتا ہے تو ابو کو بھی مار دو ” خدا کی قسم ، اس نکتے پر میری  اپنی ہنسی نکل جاتی ہے کہ آخر یہ مرد کیوں اتنا مجبور ہے  اپنی انا کےہاتھوں، آخر مسئلہ کیا ہے؟

    پھر آتا ہے پانچواں اور آخری مرحلہ جس میں مرد کہتا ہے  ” میری ہو گئی ہے بس کاٹ دے میری کوئی نس “۔ اس مرحلے میں اسے پہلے دو مرحلے جس میں وہ عورت کے محفوظ ہونے اور عورت کو عزت دینے کے نعرے کو بھول جاتا ہے ۔ اس کے اندر کا وہی درندہ جاگ جاتا ہے جو نور کے قاتل ظاہر میں ہے ، ان 400 مردوں میں ہے جو عورت پر جھپٹ پڑتے ہیں ، اوران  مولویوں میں ہے جو مدرسوں میں بچوں کو بھی  نہیں چھوڑتے ۔ مرد آپ کو ایسی گالیاں دے گا کہ آپ کو یا تو سمجھ نہیں آئے گی کہ یہ کہا کیا  ہے  یا پھر آپ صدمے میں چلی جائیں گی یہ زبان ہے عورت کو “عزت ” دینے والے کی ۔ ان 5 مرحلوں میں آپ عورت ہوتے ہوئے محسوس  کریں گی کہ  مرد خاموش نہیں ہوگا ، ایک سیکینڈ کے لیے بھی منہ بند نہیں کرے گا ۔ وہ آپ کو بات کرنے ہی نہیں دے گا ۔ کیونکہ وہ جانتا ہے کہ اگر اس نے خدا نخواستہ سن لیا ، تو وہ سوچنے لگ جائے گا ۔ اگر اس نے سوچ لیا ، تو شاید اس کو عورت کی بات ٹھیک لگنے لگے گی ۔   اس ٹھیک لگنے پراسے شاید  شرم بھی آ جائے ، اور شاید اسے معافی بھی مانگنی پڑے ۔ جیسے ہی معافی کا لفظ ذہن میں آئے گا مرد پھر سے  وہی درندہ بن جائے گا !

    اس لیے میری بہنوں ! آپ کی جنگ جائز ہے ۔ آ پ کا بار بار آواز اٹھانا جائز ہے ۔  لیکن  یہ مت بھولیں کہ اگلے کے لیے غلطی ماننا ناجائز ہے !

  • Pakistan has failed its women

    Pakistan has failed its women

    Just this week, we wrote about the heart-wrenching incident of sexual assault and harassment of a woman at Minar-e-Pakistan on August 14. As if this was not enough, two new videos surfaced yesterday — one in which a woman was forcefully kissed by a man when she was travelling on a Chingchi rickshaw on August 14.

    The man jumped on the Chingchi while it was stuck on the road due to traffic and tried to kiss the woman and we heard another woman’s scream, who was sitting with her. Another video shows a mob trying to harass a woman at Minar-e-Pakistan and she is only saved because she keeps waving a stick to disperse them and keep them at bay. 

    When we say that the women of Pakistan feel unsafe, we hear that these are just odd incidents and should not be used to distort the image of Pakistan. What exactly is the image of Pakistan if women of the country are being harassed, assaulted, and attacked every single day, in multiple incidents? These are not odd incidents. These incidents and their aftermath depict the reality of Pakistan: women are blamed after each incident.

    A TikToker gets sexually assaulted by hundreds of men for more than two and a half hours at Minar-e-Pakistan and no one helped her but she is blamed for going there for a meet and greet session with her fans. So, is a meet and greet session now forbidden for women in Pakistan, and does it warrant hundreds of men sexually assaulting a woman? When Noor Mukadam was beheaded, the women of Pakistan demanded justice. But there were those who started blaming a dead woman for being killed: ‘Why did she go there, why was she with a man alone, she had no family values.’ These were the disgusting comments being made to justify — JUSTIFY — a gruesome murder of an innocent woman. 

    When we hear such comments even after the most heinous crimes, it shows that Pakistan is no place for women. We do not respect our women. We do not like independent women. We dislike opinionated women. We justify crimes against women. We blame women for society’s ills. 

    Our leaders pass extremely violent and misogynistic comments against their women opponents and are still lauded instead of being reprimanded. When our top leader issues a rape apology, he is defended by women parliamentarians. When such is the attitude of the people on top, imagine what message it gives to the common people. They think they can do anything with women and get away with it. And they do get away in almost all cases. 
    This is our sad reality. Dear women of Pakistan, we are sorry. We have failed you.

  • Female politicians demand public hanging of rapists and murderers

    Female politicians demand public hanging of rapists and murderers

    Almost all the women lawmakers of the National Assembly, both from treasury and opposition benches, on Friday unanimously demanded the public hanging of all rapists, reported Dawn.

    The demand was made in the National Assembly by women members of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP).

    Federal Minister for Human Rights Dr Shireen Mazari said the government had recently passed a law against rape cases, but laws will not work alone. There is a need to change the mindset of our society about women.

    She said that the government has to protect all women as women will no more accept their humiliation and suffering.

    Mehnaz Akbar Aziz of PML-N said the killer of Noor Muqaddam must be hanged in public so that such incidents do not take place in the future.

    “If Pakistan has to be run, then rapists and killers must be hanged in public. We will not let the country be run in the way it is being run,” said PTI lawmaker Asma Qadeer who broke into tears while speaking on the floor of the house.

    Asma Qadeer talked about the rising cases of rape of women and children and the recent beheading of Noor Mukadam.

    PPP’s Shamim Ara Panhwar said that in the light of increasing incidents of child abuse and rape of women, there was no other option but to hang rapists and killers in public.

  • ‘The liberal brigade is misrepresenting facts’: PTI MNAs defend PM Khan’s comments on rape

    ‘The liberal brigade is misrepresenting facts’: PTI MNAs defend PM Khan’s comments on rape

    Female leaders of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Tuesday defended Prime Minister Imran Khan’s comments on sexual violence and temptation. Minister of State for Climate Change Zartaj Gul, Parliamentary Secretary for Law Maleeka Ali Bokhari and MNA Kanwal Shauzab held a press conference and came out in support of PM Khan and called out the “liberal brigade” for misrepresenting facts.

    Gul claimed that the premier was a “symbol of women empowerment”.

    “For the first time in Pakistan, five women ministers are sitting in the federal cabinet. This means that if there is a symbol of women empowerment in Pakistan, it is Prime Minister Imran,” Gul said.

    Gul added, “My culture has given me respect, Islam has taught me modesty. Do not try to distort the things said in the Holy Quran.”

    Bokhari said that she was proud to be a member of parliament under the leadership of “a man who prioritised the protection of women and children”.

    “You can’t distort a question and determine whether or not the premier cares about protecting women and children. You need to see what the government has done,” she said pointing to the establishment of special courts for deciding rape cases and anti-rape crisis cells at hospitals.

    “The Prime Minister has set aside Rs100 million in the budget for implementation of the anti-rape law,” Bokhari added.

    “We are strong women and we have been strengthened by our leader Imran Khan,” Bokhari said.

    “Under PM Imran’s leadership, the two-finger test was abolished,” Bokhari said. “Because we realise the difficulties that women have to face, we ensured that they get their inheritance rights. No other premier has called for such a law,” she said.

    MNA Kanwal Shauzab reiterated that PM Khan had empowered women in true sense.

    Quoting a verse from the Holy Quran, which she said was the essence of the prime minister’s statement, she remarked that those contesting the premier’s statement were actually contesting Allah.

    Shauzab, meanwhile, believes that if you are among those who are “fighting” against the premier’s statement in his HBO interview, then you are “disagreeing with the orders of Allah”.

    She said PM Khan explained the commands of Allah regarding women.

    “We are proud to live in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan,” Shauzab said, adding that our society does not accept obscenity.

    Earlier in the day, another PTI MNA, Aliya Hamza Malik, too, spoke in support of the premier. In an appearance on Geo Pakistan on Tuesday, Malik urged “liberals” to listen to the premier’s statement before critiquing it.

    She said the premier made a comparison between the East and the West when speaking about rape cases.

    PM Khan has made strict laws for abusers, she said, adding that the state is fulfilling its responsibility and it is our job to make strict legislation.

  • Mufti Aziz-ur-Rehman admits he raped student, claim police

    According to Geo News, Mufti Aziz-ur-Rehman has confessed that he raped his student. He was arrested by Lahore Police on Sunday from Mianwali after a video went viral on social media in which Mufti Aziz could be seen sexually assaulting one of his madrassa (seminary) students.

    According to details shared by police sources, Mufti Aziz confessed that the video was not fake and said that he was secretly filmed by his student. Mufti Aziz said after the video went viral, he panicked. He also admitted that his sons then threatened the victim. He said that he did not want to leave the madrassa, which is why he made a video denying that he raped his student after the management asked him to go.

    Read more- When a Mufti rapes, why do we silence the victim?

    Mufti Aziz hid in Township, Sheikhupura and Faisalabad with the help of some of his students but was found in Mianwali as his phone was being traced along with his sons.