look news india
The increasing heinous crimes against women and innocent children in Lahore, the capital of Pakistan’s Punjab province and the country’s second largest cultural city, have shocked the entire country. Official data released by Punjab Police and Crime Branch has completely exposed the law and order, women safety and administrative issues in the city. According to the shocking report released, a total of 1,108 cases of serious sexual violence and harassment against women have been officially registered in Lahore Metropolitan alone within the first eight months (January to August) of the current year. Out of these, brutal rape of women has been confirmed in 498 cases, while in 36 cases, soul-shattering incidents like gangrape have come to light. This explosive figure of crime in Lahore, which is called the historical, educational and cultural center, has given sleepless nights to human rights organizations, social workers and the judiciary.
Analyzing official police records, it becomes clear that women are not safe on the streets of Lahore, at workplaces and even within the walls of their homes. If we calculate the average of 1,108 cases recorded in eight months, then on an average every 5 hours a woman or teenager is becoming a victim of some kind of serious sexual crime in the city. On the basis of 498 registered cases of rape, on an average more than two women are being brutalized every day. 36 gang rape cases have proved that there is no fear of police and strict laws left among the criminals. The most painful aspect is that apart from the registered cases, there are also hundreds of such incidents which never reach the doorstep of the police stations due to fear of social shame, pressure on the victim’s families and insensitive working style of the police.
According to divisional data released by the police, almost all the six major police divisions of Lahore are in the grip of this serious problem. The highest number of cases of sexual crimes and kidnappings have been reported in Cantt Division, Model Town, City Division and Sadar Division. From densely populated middle-class areas to posh residential societies and outer highway corridors, the morale of criminals is high. According to the data, apart from rape and molestation, more than 2,500 complaints of kidnapping and forced captivity of women have also been registered in these eight months, a large part of which later turns into cases of sexual exploitation and forced marriage. Police say that in most of the 1,108 cases registered, First Information Report (FIR) has been registered against the accused, but the pace of filing charge sheets and speedy trials remains very slow.
The biggest failure in cases of sexual violence against women in Pakistan is seen in its justice system and conviction rate. According to the reports of legal experts and the Human Rights Commission (HRCP), the conviction rate in rape cases in the country is only between 1 to 2.5 percent. The main reason for this is the huge flaws in the primary investigation:
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Delay in forensic and medical examination: After the incident, in many police stations, medical examination and DNA sampling of the victimized women are not done on time, due to which evidence is destroyed.
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Lack of witness protection: Eyewitnesses and victims’ families who testify against powerful and influential accused are deprived of protection and are forced to compromise.
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Long wait times for lawyers and courts: Despite the formation of special anti-rape courts, hearings in cases continue to drag on for years, dashing hopes of justice.
As soon as these horrifying figures of Lahore Police became public, there was an uproar in the Punjab Provincial Assembly and the National Assembly. Opposition parties and women’s rights organizations have opened a tough front against the provincial government and the Director General of Police (IGP). Women’s rights activists say that the ‘Women Safety App’ and Pink Patrolling Squad launched by the government are limited only to paper and public relations campaigns, while in reality the police presence on the streets is negligible. Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have also appealed to the Government of Pakistan to adopt a zero-tolerance policy in sexual crimes cases and ensure fast-track verdicts through specialized courts so as to create a strong legal fear in the minds of criminals.
Pakistan already ranks among the lowest in the world in the Women Peace and Security Index released by UN Women and global organizations. The figure of 498 rapes and 36 gang rapes in a major metropolis like Lahore within 8 months has further dealt a deep blow to Pakistan’s image on the international arena. Analysts clearly believe that unless the investigating officers in the police department are given modern scientific training, the victimized women will not get dignified protection from the society and the legal process and the criminals will not be hanged or sentenced to life imprisonment in a timely manner, then the stringent provisions written in the law books will prove unsuccessful in stopping these brutal beasts.