The embarrassing and hideous incident that took place on the Lahore Motorway, the citizens were already in disbelief due to the shameful tragedy when CCPO Lahore Omar Sheikh, showing the same traditional patriarchal indifference, also pronounced the verdict that the real cause of the incident was due to the ‘careless attitude’ of the victim herself. He said: “she should have traveled by the GT Road instead of the motorway and should have checked if her car had enough fuel”.
If we look at the statement of CCPO Omar Sheikh, it is clear that there is no difference between the thinking of vicious, heartless criminals involved in this incident and that of a senior police official. The criminal act is inhumane while the statement of the police officer is insensitive.
Let alone in Pakistan, activists around the world have established that abuse against a woman is not due to her clothing, leaving the house late at night or wearing make-up. Just as a mother of three was being raped in Lahore, an 86-year-old grandmother in the Indian capital, Delhi, fell victim to a savage man outside her home.
The idea of raping a woman has its roots in the patriarchal system. One manifestation of this thinking is that her body should be conquered with a ‘masculine might’. The other side of this thinking is that whenever a woman is tortured, she should be accused. The statement made by CCPO Omar Sheikh is generally the right wing narrative.
Anyway, blaming the victim is a favorite pastime of powerful groups and insensitive individuals. In Pakistan, in a way, such thinking has been fostered at the official level. On the other hand, powerful groups, circles, individuals and men are beyond the law.
As a result, violence against oppressed and downtrodden citizens is on the rise. The state stands with the powerful. Social and societal thinking pattern is also generally aligned with CCPO Omar Sheikh’s mindset.
There is a small CCPO, Omar Sheikh, inside many men and women in our society who, though not openly, are repeating the same thing in secret, as CPO Omar Sheikh has said. Many CCPOs of ethics and moralities have already taken the same position on Facebook and Twitter.
CCPO Lahore is hiding his personal and institutional failure with the help of this statement. Even if the vehicle had run out of petrol, the motorway police should have arrived immediately realizing the severity of the matter.
The rest of the people who have come forward in support of this statement are not concerned with the criminals, they are concerned with why women go out of the house (these gentlemen do not even know that if women do not go out of their homes then the system of the country will crumble)
This is not just an incident. There is a danger that this traumatic episode will restrict the movement of women even in a city like Lahore. On the one hand, women will be frightened, on the other hand, the head of the household will also have the opportunity to use the incident to restrict their movement.
The way to deal with this depressing situation is for the women’s movement and progressive forces to take to the streets in the same way that millions of women and men took to the streets in Delhi in 2012.
The mindset of CCPO Omar Sheikh and his associates also needs to be crushed. It must be demanded from the state to take steps for the protection and welfare of women. The problem is that while the state’s emphasis is on abducting critical and constructive thinkers, ugly rapists also get free rein.
We also express our solidarity with the victim and her family. They should not only get justice but also steps should be taken at state level to rehabilitate the family. Pakistan’s streets, public places, farms, factories, schools, universities, offices and markets – day and night – should be safe for every woman and every child.
Note: (The article was first published in Jeddojehad )
