Who Tarnished the Image of Pakistan?

The Pakistan Government never stops disappointing its people. Never will hapless victims of corruption and cruelty ever find justice. The judiciary of Pakistan has lost all its credibility, and what is worse is that none of the leaders fret the least about what the common man is going through.

Just as the Government has not bothered to bring in reforms for improving the law and order situation in Pakistan, it has not made any efforts to protect the rights of the people as human beings. And of course women fall into this category. The recent case of Mukhtaran Mai was the Pakistan Government at its best to prove that it was incompetent, inhuman, and the top officials of the country corrupt, reckless and selfish. To think that the illegal jirga system is freely exercised, that it passes inhuman and sadistic “judgments” such as rape in compensation for an alleged case of an illegal relationship by another person, is unbelievable. But in Pakistan anything goes.

On paper we have many laws that claim to protect women, but in practicality there are no laws that have come to the rescue of victims such as Mukhtaran Mai.Thirty yars have passed by and yet the Hudood Ordinance remains at a standstill-one of the ludicrous laws not only brought into practice but has also slowly managed to alter the mindset of the Pakistani people. There are only a select few that really want to change it, raising a furore against it, while the authorities quietly promise to repeal it.

Twelve men raped Mai in 2002, and we as a nation were the least bit bothered because such gang rapes have become part of our social culture. The difference was that Mukhtaran was one victim who had the courage to stand up with the blind, almost childlike, hope that the Pakistani judicial system would come to her rescue. Mai took on the unceremonious role of being a voice for the thousands of victims who could not speak out. One expected the death sentence to have been carried out as was originally ordered by the court, but instead the twelve convicted rapists were granted bail and allowed toroam the streets again looking for prey. In fact they were joyously welcomed by the men of the Mastoi tribe.

And if this travesty of justice was not enough, the biggest disappointment came when the Government placed her name on the ECL (Exit Control List) thus canceling her scheduled visit to the US with the President announcing shamelessly (after keeping silent for two days) that it was done so that she wouldn’t blemish the image of the country. Her name was very conveniently removed after the conference in the US was over. We are indeed a callous society that such rapes occur everyday and none of us have done anything to pressurize the government. Had it been another country people would have taken to the streets forming pressure groups and protested against the Government’s action. But here no one wants to do anything. Perhaps they have all become too desensitized to do anything. Or maybe they are simply too passive or lazy.

The religious leaders rant and rave almost all the time about various non issues and hold protests off and on, but how many clerics have raised the issue of rape seriously, and have actually done something about it? None. Anyhow, one cannot expect too much from religious leaders as theirs is a myopic point of view that revolves only around tearing off billboards, and attempting to stop mixed marathons; in short restricting the freedom of women.

This country could have done so much better with a better leader. Politicians everywhere are corrupt, but they still have national interests. Unfortunately our leaders have always belonged to the army or of a feudal background. Either way, common man always suffers. We know however who actually tarnished the image of Pakistan.