Articles of the year 2005

The following headline appeared in a National newspaper, and has left me absolutely horrified."Two held for chopping off girl's legs BAHAWALPUR, Nov 27: Sadar police claimed to have arrested the two accused out of six, who had chopped off legs of a girl for contracting marriage of her own will at Mauza Naseerabad.

Those arrested were victim Shamim Mai's brother Bashir and her uncle Bilal. The other four nominated in the FIR were: union council councillor Faiz Rasool, Ahmed Baksh, Talib Hussain and Allah Baksh. So far, the police could not arrest them."

The very gruesome nature of the crime has conjured up horrifying images, of a poor weak woman at the mercy of savage brutes. It is incredible that six men were involved in this act. While the Nation debates on the Hudood ordinance, we are shown the reality of the contempt that our society feels towards women. Nowhere in the world is such an act committed by more than one person. One individual maniac can and has done worse, but nowhere in the world does a group of men subject another human to this level of atrocity. Surely there is an underlying sickness here that should be looked at carefully, for this labels our whole society, and negates all the goodness and love for his fellow man that is the hallmark of Pakistani Society.

This aberration should put us on notice as to the true results of a Hudood ordinance where a woman is declared as a second class citizen, and treated as such. Another question that comes up immediately is why is it only in Islamic countries that women are treated in such a fashion. When, Islam was the first religion to give women their rights, and the protection from discrimination, and this protection sanctified by a religious edict. Unknown in the civilized world at that time. How we have regressed, and most of all in the Zia regime. This protection has been taken away by the Mullahs, and a distorted twisted version cobbled together to enslave the womenfolk of Pakistan. Our enlightened leadership, which has put more women into the Assemblies than ever before has been let down by the women members themselves, who have not been able convert their numerical strength into a more productive body in the House. It is now incumbent on the Lady members to forge a safety barricade for their kind, as we the males seem to have forgotten that we are of woman born, and if we choose to relegate the women of this country to a second class citizenship, then surely the lady members have the were withal to fight for and secure these rights, through the assemblies.

With Pakistan under close scrutiny for aid that our Earthquake victims so desperately need, it is important that the President should order an immediate arrest and enquiry (in that sequence) for we do not need another Mukhtaran, Sonia or Doc Shazia to show that Pakistan has a dark side. In this instance the justice should be quick, and retribution effective, so that we Pakistanis should also know that the guilty are being punished, and that this crime which is a blot on all Pakistanis, has not been covered up as in all the other instances.The Chief Minister Punjab who is doing such a good job in the development of his Province, should take up this matter personally, as it is necessary to deliver a message throughout the Province that such aberrant behavior will not be condoned and will be punished immediately. For no amount of development can bear the stigma of one such act. In the meantime we have our own dear Benazir receiving a prize from Mr.Gorbachev for toleration, when she as the first Elected Woman Prime Minister did nothing to remove or amend the Hudood ordinance when she was in power, and her toleration of this black law by itself justifies being called a traitor to the women of Pakistan. As far as we know her rule was far from tolerant, and if anything she and her late Father had the shortest toleration span known in our short history. I think Mr Gorbachev may have been judging her by the old Soviet standards, by which she may have ranked well below Stalin or Beria, and may be Ivan the terrible. But Mr Gorbachev, tolerant the Bhuttos are not, as the CFO of SGS must have admitted by now. Not to mention the four high profile murders during her time ( her brother for one)where her husband is one of the accused nominated in the FIR.