WHY RAPE IS ARISING AS A MAJOR PROBLEM IN PAKISTAN
By: Hira Tariq
Tags: Rape, Rape Culture, Rape In Pakistan, Sexual Harassment, Sexual Assault

WHY RAPE IS ARISING AS A MAJOR PROBLEM IN PAKISTAN

How does it feels to see life shattering apart in front of own eyes? How does it affects to be the victim of molestation and witness every single moment of helplessness, miserably? How would it torture the soul to be blamed for all of it and hear cursing of earthen demons? It would be heart breaking for sure.

Rape indeed, is the most depressing and terrible crime that shatters life of the victim for the rest of days. Dreadful increased rate of rape incidents recently has shaken the Pakistani society, especially women who find it no longer safe to go out or trust one single soul out there; even at home, in graveyards, this hex won’t stop. Every three days don't pass except with another heart wrenching rape incident becoming headline of bulletin.

Pakistan is well known for its customs and traditions of respect and love. Keeping all those famous orthodox in record, it seems strange why such cases are continuously happening in Pakistan? It's still the same land with people still following same religion. What changed then? Why Rape is arising as major problem in Pakistan? Why this outburst of rape incidents? It's a rhetorical question off course; Gone the days when women were the solemn victim. Dynamics of situation have changed completely. Not just women, kids and males have been victimized and community has fed up of red headlines spreading terror everywhere.

This problem needs attention before it’s too late.

Rape and domestic violence increasing in Pakistan isn't new. It’s been dark 20 years of utter pedophilia when arising cases came to lime light. Criminal judicial system, desperate and typical society's way of victim shaming are factors behind that victim fears to report the rapist. Hence reporting rape is equated with defiance.

Problem is old enough but the statistics are becoming worse than ever. If government is unable to safeguard women, children and cadavers, does that implies; we are no longer safe from it, neither at homes, nor after death under the graves.

1. Khan. A. and Zaman's cites deterrence that makes the time for rape victim more pathetic. Victim shaming has our usual attitude towards it that the victim is responsible for whatever happens, for being at the wrong place at the wrong time or dressing urged the rapist. When victim reports, he/she faces prejudgment about character, mentality, credibility and shaming. Police hesitates to file an FIR if the victim isn't completely devastated, wounded, married or come late which is completely absurd. It takes an average 3 to 4 years to reach verdict. Society shames the victim making it more traumatic with the families of victimizer continuously pressurizing the victim to withdraw case. As in most of the cases victim belongs to lower socio-economic status than the rapist, they can’t follow the proceedings.

Informal settlements like fails and Jirga have been cited to allow rape of women as compensation of some alleged relations by the member of her family with others. Granting's bails before arrest and appearing before court , lamenting for dark when the rapist is wandering and fear for the rest of life make is more pathetic. They is danger of media to reveal the details of victim and rest of life might go to blazes. There has been legislation done to hold these cases. Necessary to cite the protection of the women (criminal law amendment), the protection against harassment of women at workplace act 2010, and the prevention of anti-women practices (criminal law amendment) act 2011, the acid control and acid crime prevention act 2011 but the problem is not the justice, it is the delay in it. It also suggests certain areas of improvement like ensuring the protection of witness and privacy. Media shall not be allowed to Intervene or else there is risk of disc lure of information.

Government should ensure and testing for concrete evidence.

2. Zaman's and Zia.M in a journal article depicts that a rape trial can take approx. of 1.5 to 10 years and that makes the time for an average 3-4 years. The National policy of Supreme Court on contrary states that all cases punishable or imprisonment from 7 years and above including death shall be decided within a period of 1 year. Even then, victims are ragged for years and years until they themselves withdraw their case to imposed pressure by the family of the rapist.

It also highlights that in most of the government hospitals the DNA test for rape facility does not even exist. The MLOs behave harshly towards a women who turns up with rape and question her credibility. After such a traumatic experience, even if the victim delays few hours to report the incident, it all goes against the victim. They expect a victim to turn up in devastated condition right after rape and if it is against any influential person, case isn't even filed in majority cases. Then.

Hearing is often before camera or in open courts where women has to answer before irrelevant people. Even it is one of the cases where victim is considered to be accused to expected to inquire , investigate and dig the soil for proving herself right.

3. Mufti.A reported “when the moon rises, the world will see,” (2019) in an article that is a critique on the arising rape cases in Pakistan. It highlights the suggested and under consideration rape punishments that are supposed as a barrier before rape cases. It refers the amnesty international report that even after the punishment of hanging of rapist in Iran and Saudi Arabia, no significant decrees in rape cases has been seen there. It might be that the fear of hanging or capital punishment make the rapist to kill the victim so he or she may not spot him. The pathetic and psychic attitudes of him how adversely affect the rest of lives is hard to imagine. Pakistan has a noticeable pedophilia. ME TOO movement was exemplary in this regard to make people aware that it's okay if this mishap has shatter you for once. Usually, the victim has lower social status and thus feels hesitant to report the case.

In the first 60 days of the 2020, 73 rape cases were reported and god knows how many were not even reported due to general attitude of the system and community towards the rape cases. 5 were the gang rape cases and 10 cases were reported in whole of 2019. The Frishta Mehmnd case of 2013 with which rage erupted as volcano in community didn't even triggered the legislative authorities to amend and pass bill as timely management of problem that is now becoming disastrous. Pakistan lacks the kits of DNA testing on general level. There aren't considerable lady police officers to deal with female victims It makes it even harder to manage such cases.

4. An article about rape in Pakistan narrates the whole 9 year battle of Mukhtaran Mai who has been iconic for her stand up after she was raped on orders of panchayat. She had been married once before and court doubted her case saying that she fabricated the whole thing. Complaining the rape case a week later than the time it actually happened was argued by the sensible judges that doesn't make any sense. Only one of the accused was believed just because he himself told he had raped her. She was perceived by too many lawyers, judges, media rest of the community, to be deepening the shame of her rape by taking it “outside”, and bringing disgrace to the country in the eyes of the world. It's is also alleged that there was political pressure to drop the charges. However the Verdict was utterly disappointing. Later, when she was interviewed by anchors and local TV stations, she was presented as a women who spoiled the international image of Pakistan and travelled the world getting virtue of her rape. She was threatened by the certain dark figures and president openly said ' It seems to him a trick to get asylum in foreign countries' pointing out previous cases when the victim had run for her life to Europe. It reflects what is most likely to happen when a victim files case, Firstly, as the statement of the victim is needed at the police station. Police find it a good opportunity to humiliate the victim, adopting the usual attitude of victim blaming "immoral women, deserved assault ". It is thought that reporting will only bring disgrace to the family. They doubt the credibility of the victim. Out of 8000 cases reported in 2010, 928 were the rape cases. (Research Gate 2011)

5. Mai.M (2007) states that “By July 2002, Government awarded me equivalent of 8,500 U.S dollars in compensation money and sentenced my rapists to death. I went to open a school for girls so that future generations would not suffer, as I had.”

6. According to Zamman.S and Zia.M. (2012) Granting bails before arrest to the rapist make it like a hell for the victim. There is danger that media might reveal the details of the victim and the rest of life might go to blazes.

7. Amir.M. “In Pakistan, rape culture is not only systematic, it is reinforced at every level,”(2020) reported that Pakistani women have found themselves on the receiving end of inherent double standard stemming from such convoluted logic; where our safety is entirely in our own hands but somehow simultaneously in the hands of every manm in our family.

There are different answers to 'Why rape is arising as a major problem in Pakistan?' It can be the spread of pornography and sick media content that is affecting the mentality of youth. It can be weak judicial system that makes a rapist get advantage of it, makes him think that ' it's okay, no one will arrest me or catch me '.

Generally, majority follows laws only because breaking them can lead to severe punishment. If Law isn't supreme, obeyed or respected, who will fear to break it or commit terrible crimes? Another answer can be Victim Shaming due to which families don't dare to report the culprit and he wanders freely molesting other victims. Being a rape victim or survivor isn't left untouched; it is considered as hot topic of gossips; her daughter, his wife, his kid was raped, thrilling, isn't it?

When it comes to implementation of severe punishment, it won't work until mentality of society is same. After chemical castration, if the rapist would be left imprisoned, he might attack the victim again to get revenge and strangle him/her to death.

There is need of implementation of ' Castration plus imprisonment'. There is need to teach people that the victim can be their daughter, their wife, their son. It isn't about being at the wrong place at the wrong time cause cadavers have been reported to be raped too ; girls wearing veil are raped at home too , kids in their madrassa have been raped too, women on orders of fails and Jirga have been raped too. It's about encounter with a person of sick mentality and more power. So there is need to teach kids and women basic selfdefense. There is need to break the taboo and stopping Victim shaming, shifting to rapist shaming. After all we all have someone beloved in our life that we never wish to fell in such situation. Isn't it?

Hira