14-year-old pulls back societal drapes

Patriarchy in Pakistan enjoys the front-row view; sitting on irony’s edge. Lines become blurred as tragedy is tinged with rib-tickling comedy. Basking in the privilege handed by his genes on a silver platter, a young man is making rounds on social media as he comes down hard on supporters of women’s education and empowerment; branding them as “dallas” (pimp). Quite interestingly, his latest sensation (nicely gift-wrapped using fervent religiosity) asks fathers to keep their daughters under their watch. All well and good, but there are no recipes to protect the said vessel of honour inside the char-deewari. Hafiz Hassan Iqbal Chishti must be saving the profound nuggets for the next super-hit instalment but meanwhile, a 14-year-old grief-stricken daughter of the nation, whose “notorious” adventures on the road and in mehndi nights were warned of drawing divine punishment, continues to stare into the abyss. The last year or so was a day-in, day-out struggle of survival against her own kin. Complaints of acute stomach pain landed a student of Grade 3 in the emergency of a private hospital in Azad Kashmir, wherein she and her mother were to receive a heart-shattering surprise. Her oblivion to changes in her anatomy had not stopped the tracks of her pregnancy. She gave birth to another star-crossed daughter of Even even before the hospital administration could call in the police for further investigation. The girl was underage, unmarried and up for the harshest confrontation with life. Subsequent proceedings saw her accuse her father and her brother (the two men society and the pulpit consider rightful owners of her sanctity and identity) of repeatedly raping her. It did not take long for both of them to admit to their horrendous wrongdoings but only to sweep it under the proverbial rug of “shame.” They confessed they were “sorry.” Hollow resignation and shoving the parcel of carnal indignations to the devil’s doorstep is, by far, the oldest trick in the playbook. The schemes of Satan are no stranger to the justice system and as very appropriately quipped by a West African Judge, “It is not uncommon for a person who has faltered, fallen short or committed a crime to lay the blame at the foot of “the devil” or “satan.” The most thought-provoking response has come from the victim’s mother, who is adamant about saving her son from the charges. Exasperated by the calamity that has befallen her, worries about the sustenance of her nine children have rendered her impervious to her daughter’s suffering. There is no saying what would happen to this family in the coming days. Even though a sessions court only recently ruled that an “out-of-court settlement” had no legal bearing in rape cases, justice in Pakistan proceeds in eerie ways. For now, the hapless girl is being forced to shift houses and cities out of societal fears. Her misery has sparked a wave of ferocious backlash as relatives have decided the matter among themselves. They have found the solution to this allegedly shameful problem: blame the victim, cut ties with her, and turn her into a social pariah. Doused in privilege, social media warriors are no different. An introspective tweet by @muneebqadirmmq, “This is what happens when you throw Domestic Violence Bill into the dustbin only to please the clergy & Lollywood scriptwriters,” led to a scandalous splashing of muddy waters on the character of a 14-year-old. Let that sink in. A 14-year-old was targeted by a man–who had never met her–for blaming her family members for her promiscuity. If this disgusting exchange does not deserve the immediate attention of both the state and society, nothing ever will. If not for the sake of morality, it might be a good exercise to read through Article 25 (1) of the Constitution, which states, “All citizens are equal before the law and entitled to equal protection of the law.” Similarly clear is Article 34 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (The child shall be protected from all forms of sexual exploitation and sexual abuse) binding upon the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. In the meantime, the child born to this child has been handed to a trust. She may not know now what the future hold for her but a life sentence of ignominy has already been sealed. The mother would fight to prove her helplessness in the eyes near and far and Kismet would fiddle to a sarcastic tune.