Incidences of harassment by sexual predators at the workplace are on rise because of the dismal will of the State and its law enforcement agencies to punish the culprits. It seems as if those in corridors of power are only concerned with their pound of flesh and not bothered about themental anguish and torment suffered by daughters of Eve in Islamic Republic of Pakistan. As inheritors of her legacy, the brutal murder of a young girl Tania by spoiled son of a Vadera in Sind should have invited intervention by BB’s children (Bilawal, Bakhtawar and Assefa). But nothing has happened, other than pep talk. Where are vocal members of our civil society including prominent lawyers and human rights activists?
In the rare incidence where a female dares to come out in the open, she faces a backlash either from her male superiors, her family or male chauvinist lawyer groups in courts who have no shame in slandering her character. They want to put the blame on the victim for inciting rape. The involvement of Mufti Qavi in murder of Qandeel Baluch is another case for study. When the incidence of a PIA Captain, involved in carrying a Chinese passenger in the cockpit, was highlighted by media and raised by distinguished female Senator Sherry Rehman as member of Parliamentary Comm, the CEO of PIA in response to a query accepted that this particular individual has a history of being a sexual predator, yet nothing has happened, although the culprit was found guilty of submitting a fake degree. This is the same airline where a female pilot had the courage to levy charges of sexual harassment against her instructors within CAA and PIA yet nothing happened to those she accused. No wonder such incidences keep on repeating and are on the rise.
It is time that proper punishments are met out to such predators that have neither any shame nor honor.
ANEELA CHANDIO,
Sukkur, October 20.