Violence against women

The fact that Pakistan was slated second in a list of 145 countries with regard to gender disparities tells a very sorry tale about its gross yet unchecked violations of human rights. A study by the Acid Survivors Foundation (ASF) revealed that since 2007 to 2015, as many as 1,004 acid attacks were reported across the country, which targeted women aged between 17-30. Southern Punjab was reported to have the largest number of acid attacks (643) in these years, followed by Central Punjab (202), Sindh (40), Balochistan (34) and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (27). Although the actual episodes of violence might be significantly higher than the number reported, this undecided state of even these cases at the hands of loopholes in the legal framework is quite unfortunate. While nothing can relieve the agony of victims who are literally trapped in a fate worse than death, a timely investigation of their culprits might help bring them some solace. As is already done in countries like Bangladesh and India, government should also pay compensation to an acid attack victim in a similar manner to that given to victims of terrorism.

It is high time that all stakeholders involved in the legal proceedings of acid victims were trained to ensure an effective prosecution of their offenders. A move by parliamentarians to enact the Criminal Law Amendment Act 2011 was hailed as a foundation stone for a society sans such violence. However, the fight against its perpetually strengthening existence needs many more extensive steps to succeed. The highly controversial witness protection methods deployed by police officers, especially in rural areas, facilitate the influential elements to obstruct justice.

This year alone has seen a number of Pakistani women being strangled to death, doused with acid, set ablaze or vulnerable to assaults. However, as long as the authorities continue to overlook these episodes, no significant change can be brought about. District governments need to be strengthened to provide medico-legal facilities, which are at par with the international standards. Presence of female officers should also be mandated in rural areas to ensure an immediate treatment of acid victims. Nonetheless, all these reforms cannot yield promising results unless society evolves its mindset against the persecution of victims. Mass awareness campaigns should be initiated by government in collaboration with media outlets to educate citizens to take a stand against perpetrators of all forms of violence. Pakistan is notoriously known for its exclusion of women from its public spaces. The recent brutal attack on two sisters outside a school in Lahore on top of serial stabbings of women in Rawalpindi clearly validates this drive to restrict female agency. By not implementing effective reforms against the rise of acts of gender violence, the state is unknowingly encouraging these elements to further deprive women of their rights. *