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Pakistan: Girl stripped naked by mob of over 400

by News Desk August 18, 2021

Graphic videos posted on social media show a young Pakistani woman being dragged and stripped naked by a mob of over 400 men in Pakistan’s Minar-e-Pakistan.

As the country was celebrating its Independence from British India, Ayesha a young woman from Lahore too was outside shooting for a TikTok video showcasing her love for her country.

A mob then appeared rushing towards her for selfies and went on to grope her and tear her clothes off for over 3 hours.

The woman kept screaming and calling for help and a security guard who was there tried to get her away but because the huge mob full of men of diverse ages from teens, young adults to full adults, from those who looked uneducated to college and university students all went on to assault the girl.

They threw her up in the air “like a ball” and the girl says no part of her body is left without a bruise.

Some on social media went on to victim-shame and accused her of “improperly” dressing but the girl has defended herself against the accusations and the victim-shaming that is common for women in Pakistan’s Islamic conservative society.

This case highlights the growing mob-mentality and mindset that has plagued Pakistan since a long time.

Women who are seen outside are followed by young men in hopes of getting their numbers and those seen outside at night are considered as “prostitutes” with cars stopping near them assuming they are at work.

Pakistan’s government led by Imran Khan has come out strong against the perpetrators but the accused are mostly freed because of the red-tape that has always tangled Pakistan’s bureaucracy and judiciary.

On 14th August, as the people of Pakistan celebrate their Independence day, men are seen rushing out to streets and the police are unable to stop them as there is this societal tradition of them being free from all laws that day.

So the boys mock the police and create a ruckus while spreading noise pollution and creating a moblike environment, dangerous for families and especially women.

The government has vowed to arrest all those who were involved in this gross violation and sexual assault of the woman, and she too has come out and registered cases and is adamant to recognize all the faces who had violated her.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan faced a lot of criticism when he claimed that women are raped because of the way they dress and since then he has occasionally tried to clarify or backtrack from the statement.

The Pakistan media has ignored to question his views on it because of the backlash it would face on social media from Khan’s supporters and leaders of his political party.

Pakistan has always been a mishmash of an Islamic ideology and liberalism.

The country occasionally tilts towards more a liberal mindset and then goes back to the Islamic way but is always in-between the two.

The youngsters who would face strict persecution for having relationships tend to keep them in secret, at hotels, secretly dating and then beaten once caught.

Many have not even talked to girls or women and when they see one alone outside and during occasions when the men are in groups they commit the worst crimes and society ends up blaming the victims.

Pakistan’s northern region that borders Afghanistan is infamous for child-abuse and countless documentaries have exposed it.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan who was in the opposition until a few years labelled it as the darkest stain on Pakistan’s history.

He also vowed to make laws that protect children and though his vision looks clear, his party is struggling to do anything at the moment because the country’s non-functioning Parliament.

With the introduction of TikTok along with cheap smartphones and a fast spreading internet service, young Pakistanis are all on the platform making different videos that the other part of their society hate.

It usually follows them lip-synching a song and doing a dance move which is basically them walking from one end to another.

Ayesha too went to the Minar-e-Pakistan to record a TikTok video and celebrate independence but the mob of men with their criminal mentality took advantage as they believed they wouldn’t get caught and “it was the girl’s fault” for going outside.

Women’s and human rights activists are outraged by this incident and they rightly should be.

This dangerous trend against the women of Pakistan needs to stop and the government has to take quick measures to remove the red tape to bring such perpetrators to justice and the victims who will be haunted by this incident for the rest of their lives can get justice.

Warning: Graphic Content!