Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Vice President Senator Sherry Rehman, while condemning Noor Mukadam’s gruesome murder, said Saturday the case is not a one-off and called for justice for Noor and all other girls who have been violated or wronged.
“In two weeks, there have been multiple cases of violence against women. With such incidents happening on a daily basis, it is important for us to discuss why the domestic violence bill is needed in Pakistan,” she said, adding: “This bill seeks to protect women, children, and other vulnerable groups from domestic violence. It also provides relief and rehabilitation to all victims of domestic violence.”
Discussing Khadija Siddiqi’s case, she said, “It is shocking that the man who stabbed her 23 times has been granted remission on the account of donating blood and on payment of the requisite fines of Arsh and Daman. He did not even get to complete his 5-year jail sentence. This is not the example that we should be setting.” On the other hand, Usman Mirza who assaulted a couple is still on physical remand, she said, adding there needs to be swift justice in such cases.
She said that Pakistan ranked 151 out of 153 countries on the Global Gender Gap Index of the World Economic Forum. “There are countless cases which do not get reported or make it to social media but one can’t deny the femicide happening in Pakistan,” she said, stressing that someone must take responsibility for all the women who were beaten up by the men of their family.
Highlighting the importance of the domestic violence bill, she said, “This landmark legislation is long overdue and the need of the hour. It’s high time that we outlaw practices which are a threat to the safety and wellbeing of our women.” Instead of blaming women for sexual violence, she said, it is important to work towards changing the culture of sexism and misogyny.
“I had moved this bill in 2004 when I was an MNA. After that, devolution allowed provinces to make laws to protect women. Sindh’s law is still the model law but why is the federal government unable to accept either my law moved in 2020 in the Senate or the human rights ministry’s?” she questioned.
The PPP leader concluded by saying, “The government needs to do more than just act in sporadic cases. They need to institutionally have a response mechanism and an environment that enables women to be safe and empowered in public and private spaces. It is also the government’s responsibility to ensure that women feel safe to speak up against the injustice happening to them.”
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