Rape, victim blaming and holding a woman accountable for a horrendous act like rape is common among Pakistani folk. Time and time again the woman is always blamed, be it for her choice of attire, her demeanour, her way of talking and for a number of other absurd reasons. The rapist is never held accountable and Pakistan has seen a number of these cases over a period of time.
And now, another such horrific incident has taken place after which the victim was yet again to blame, this time by a figure of authority. Protests broke out in the country over the weekend, after Lahore’s police chief Umar Sheikh, who is investigating the motorway gang rape, blamed the victim for being attacked. He attributed blame on the woman for travelling late at night without a male companion and further, blamed her for taking the particular route she took.
The woman in question was on her way back to the city via Lahore’s Ring Road at 01:03am on Tuesday evening when she was approached by two armed men, raped and then robbed of her belongings. She was a resident of Gujranwala and as she commenced her journey, her vehicle ran out of fuel just an hour later near Gujjarpura. The stranded woman waited for her husband and had called a relative for help in the meantime. She was advised to call the motorway police.
After calling the motorway police’s 130 emergency helpline for assistance, she was told by the operator that she could not be helped as the emergency beat had not been assigned to anyone. She was left with no choice but to wait for her husband and as she waited, stranded on the road, two unidentified armed men arrived by foot from a nearby area. As they arrived at the car, they smashed the window, dragging her and her children out. They cut through the fence and into the field where they raped her in the presence of her children. This is how the incident ensued as per the FIR.
Since the incident, 15 people have been arrested and two suspects have been identified. The CCPO’s statement and lax attitude to the matter has enraged many and a number of celebrities are not standing for it. Mass protests broke out in the country over the weekend and for all the right reasons. Many also took to social media to voice their support for public execution of the perpetrators. One of the most recent celebrities to have raised her voice against the matter is none other than Sanam Saeed.
The Cake actor took to her social media on Sunday night and shared a tweet from PTI’s official page, reiterating what the Chief Minister Punjab had said in response to the CCPO’s statement in a press conference. The tweet read,”CCPO’s statement was irrelevant and irresponsible. IG Punjab has issued show cause notice to CCPO and asked him to respond within seven days.” It went on to assert, “After that suitable action will be taken.” The tweet can be viewed here:
CCPO's statement was irrelevant and irresponsible. IG Punjab has issued show cause notice to CCPO & asked him to respond within 7 days. After that suitable action will be taken" Chief Minister Punjab @UsmanAKBuzdar in his press conference #motorwayincident pic.twitter.com/i5qljWJWbi
— PTI (@PTIofficial) September 12, 2020
In response to the tweet, which was liked and retweeted a number of times, Sanam Saeed urged that sensitivity training and more steps needed to be put into place. “Now.. Implement sensitivity training please.. Tell us how you are going to take more steps to keep us safe. Don’t let background checks surface after tragic incidents take place. Pakistan needs a NATIONAL SEX OFFENDERS REGISTER,” her tweet read.
Now.. Implement sensitivity trainning please.. Tell us how you are going to take more steps to keep us safe. Don't let back ground checks surface after tragic incidents take place. Pakistan needs a NATIONAL SEX OFFENDERS REGISTER.@PTIofficial#motorwaycase#CCPOLahore https://t.co/YDl4Es3V6R
— Sanam Saeed (@sanammodysaeed) September 13, 2020
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Earlier, Sanam Saeed had retweeted a post which shared a comparison of statistics which showed how Junaid Hafeez, a full bright scholar was given a death sentence and kept in solitary confinement over charges of blasphemy while Abid Ali, the suspect in the motorway incident roams freely despite having been charged with rape previously as well.
“Why? Why does the system fail us? Why do rapists roam freely?” questioned Saeed.
Why??? Why does the system fail us… Why do rapists roam freely??? https://t.co/2tWcxNPR2S
— Sanam Saeed (@sanammodysaeed) September 13, 2020
