Shrouq Tariq
A viral video shows a woman being sexually assaulted by a large group of men at Minar-e-Pakistan in Lahore on 14 August, Pakistan’s independence day. The incident has been confirmed after a First Information Report (FIR) was registered.
Pakistani male celebrities and politicians have come forward to condemn the tragic assault of a woman by a mob at Minar-e-Pakistan. The unfortunate incident has disturbed the influential men of the country who took to their social media handles to condemn the act and seek justice for the girl.
Prime Minister Imran Khan has taken notice of the incident and spoke with Punjab IGP Inam Ghani about it.
Planning and Development Minister Asad Umar tweeted: “What happened at Minar-e-Pakistan is deeply disturbing. There needs to be serious introspection of the causes of this ugly face of society. What are we teaching at home & in schools, our laws, how laws are implemented etc. Women cannot be left feeling insecure.”
In a post on his official Twitter handle, Human Rights Minister Shireen Mazari said her ministry is in touch with the Punjab authorities to ensure strict action against the perpetrators of the condemnable attack.“Arrests made, FIRs done. MoHR following up. But we need to try & change such violent behavioral patterns in our people,” she stressed.
Reacting to the incident on Twitter, PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif said: “Deeply disturbed at the harassment of a young woman & her companions by hundreds of people at Greater Iqbal Park in Lahore”.“What is more worrying is the direction our society is headed in. The recent anti-women incidents are a reminder that malaise is deep-rooted. Very Shameful!”
PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz tweeted: “Heart-wrenching scenes at Minar-e-Pakistan warrant collective introspection. We as parents, teachers & leaders need to reflect upon the upbringing of our youngsters to make public spaces safe for women”.
The PPP chief called for a strict action against those involved in the incident.
In a statement on Wednesday, Bilawal Bhutto said the incident shows the moral degradation of our society. The PPP chief called for a strict action against those involved in the incident.
He took it to Twitter and said “The assault of a young women by a mob at #minarepakistan should shame every Pakistani. It speaks to a rot in our society. Those responsible must be brought to justice. The women of Pakistan feel insecure and it is all our responsibility to ensure safety and equal rights to all.”
PPP Senator Sherry Rehman in a tweet wrote: “Disgusted at the misogyny popping up everywhere in questioning a girl’s clothing,life,right to public spaces after the heinous #minarepakistan mass-abuse of a tiktok star.All of the public predators should be in jail;people sharing the video should be ashamed of salacious posting.”
Shrouq Tariq is the Research Analyst and writer at Matrix Media. Her work has been published in number of national and international newspapers . She’s also a member of the Matrix Media editorial board. She is currently completing her MPhil in Defence and Strategic Studies from Quaid-i-Azam university.
