An angel in the book of life,

Wrote down a baby’s birth,

And whispered as she closed the book,

‘Too beautiful for earth’.

She certainly, was too beautiful for Earth. Zainab, we are sorry. We are sorry because for us someone’s marriage is a topic that we can debate upon, but our lips are silenced about what’s happening in Kasur. I am sorry because in this society, we search for excuses to hide realities; we blame your parents for what happened to you, not the patriarchal injustices that fuel aggression in Pakistan. We have failed you and while doing that, failed as a nation and as a society. I am sorry that in my country only notice is taken of pornography cases such as the one in Kasur back in 2015, though no action is taken. If action was taken back then, maybe you would be amongst us today. I am sorry that you were born in my country.

You know, the end is inevitable when the daughters of this soil are brutally assaulted, tortured and then dumped in garbage cans. We are destined to disintegrate as a people, as a community if more children will be subject to such heinous acts perpetrated by frustrated people. When parents have to think before their child steps out of their house, when they have to think twice before buying them clothes, you know you’re losing the fight against these sick minded people.

Riots, protests and opportunities for political scoring galore, as our leaders use Zainab’s incident to dent the government. Our government has been sent back to the drawing board and is being held solely responsible, as other political parties continue to separate themselves from this monstrosity.

Chaos unravels across the entire country with protests, demonstrations and vigils and through this, for some; the underlying, politically fuelled agendas might have been met, as various leaders again find themselves prisoners of their own mental constructs that do not allow them to look beyond their own interests, in the larger scheme of things, for the grander cause. The government has been pushed to the wall, as certain factions lick their lips at the havoc created across Pakistan. The future is evidently bleak, when your leaders utilise rape and violence for political scoring and to impose their presence.

Fear and trepidation has gripped the nation as cries for justice prevail across all forms of media. However, it is amusing to see that these cries are only confined and restricted to the 7 year old only. #JusticeforZainab is trending on Twitter, as if she’s the first name on this long list of victims originating from the hub of child abuse in Pakistan, the city of Kasur. What about Sharaq, the 12 year old boy found in the fields around near Dholan Chak 27, Kasur only days after the Zainab incident. What about the 15 other girls found raped and molested in Kasur over the past year. Why hasn’t our media initiated an outcry for them? What crime did they do that justice seems so elusive, so evasive for them? Were they not humans as well? The answers to these questions remain ambiguous to many, yet very clear to some.

In this atmosphere and amongst such incensed people, it is easy to forget the primary responsibility, the moral obligation that rests upon our shoulders. As Zainab looms large across all media platforms, it’s easy to initiate the wrong struggle, which might be extinguished once justice is served to Zainab’s family and to this country.

Today, let us remind ourselves that our fight is against the ideology, the mentality that continues to fuel aggression at the very primary level of society. Our war is not against one man, not against one wrong doer. We fight for Zainab, but let us make sure that our struggle does not end there. We strive for Pakistan, for safe futures, not just for closure to a family. It is easy to neglect the 15 other girls abused in Kasur and other boys assaulted in areas all over Pakistan. This negligence on our part, this form of “selective justice” would be detrimental against this war against a mentality and frustration that refuses to die out.

If we as a nation have to take a step in the right direction and if we are to empower, enable and emancipate our sons and daughters, let us treat every victim equally. Let us investigate into all of the happenings in Kasur, not just any one incident. We cannot bring Zainab back, but let us make sure that we secure the futures of the Batools, the Sharaqs and the Fatimas of this soil. Let’s channelize our energies and our struggle for everyone and serve justice to everyone, without any further delays.

Pakistan Zindabad, Pakistan Paindabad.