A woman was gang raped in front of her children on Lahore Sialkot Motorway

Pakistan has always had a hard time trying to do right by every minority in the country. Demands for safety for so many marginalized communities have fallen on deaf ears. On top of all that, the women of this country are subjected to grotesque violence every single day. Upon asking for safety, they’re shunned, gaslighted, slut-shamed and violently suppressed. Lip service is paid by politicians across the board for women’s safety measures yet nothing actually happens. One shocking incident has caused massive distress all across Pakistan since last evening.

*TRIGGER WARNING: Sexual Violence*

On Tuesday night, a woman was reported to have been gang raped in front of her children on Lahore-Sialkot motorway

According to reports, the woman was traveling with her children from Lahore to Gujranwala when her car stalled after crossing the toll plaza on the Lahore-Sialkot motorway. The reason for the stalling is said to be either fuel shortage or a fault. She was said to be waiting for help after having contacted her relatives who told her to inform the motorway police until the family is able to reach out to her. It is also being said that the women tried to reach out to the motorway police who in response informed her she could not be provided help as the emergency beat had not been assigned to anyone.

When her relatives reached her she was found terrified, on the road, with her clothes stained with blood.

The police claim that two rapists reached the woman before she was able to make contact with the police and broke the car’s window and dragged the lady and her children out of the car to later rape her in the fields nearby, in front of her children. It is also being said that the men took away an amount equivalent to PKR 100,000/-, jewelry, and ATM cards from her before running away.

People across Pakistan are shocked, they can’t even imagine the pain and trauma that the woman and her children have been through

Just read the news of woman gang-raped on motorway infront of her children. WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH THESR BASTARDS WHO CANNOT CONTROL THEIR FUCKING HORNINESS.
I feel so traumatized rn, every day someone is being raped and killed.#PublicHangingofRapists

— Khadija Kiani (@KhadijaKiani4) September 9, 2020

Just Imagine that Your Mother is Being Raped Infront of You Just Imagine!

I Can't Hold My Tears 😭#PublicHangingOfRapists pic.twitter.com/6R4Gk2iti8

— Syeda Mizra Jilani 🌞 (@smjq_official) September 9, 2020

Demands are being made for action by the Federal Minister for Human Rights Shireen Mazari to show some actual response for a change

Where is @ShireenMazari1 ?
The so called minister of human rights?#PublicHangingOfRapists

— 🦋 (@sameoldbaji) September 9, 2020

We want #PublicHangingOfRapists
Where’s our so called Human Right Minister. pic.twitter.com/9cDGwbuYe9

— A M M A R (@AmmarZamann) September 9, 2020

So many angry Pakistanis are demanding public hanging of the rapists

This shocking incident is literally all anyone has been able to talk about on Pakistani social media ever since it came to light.

A woman was raped infront of her kids, it’s not a mere statement when people say #PublicHangingOfRapists should be done. These people don’t deserve any kind of attention except that their hanging should be a public arrangement so all those like him know what’s coming. Ya Allah

— Maryam (@maryammskk) September 9, 2020

Capital punishment was suggested as the ultimate solution to the predicament in which the women of this country find themselves in

HANG THE FUCKING RAPISTS PUBLICLY.
HANG THE FUCKING RAPISTS PUBLICLY.
HANG THE FUCKING RAPISTS PUBLICLY.
HANG THE FUCKING RAPISTS PUBLICLY.
HANG THE FUCKING RAPISTS PUBLICLY.
HANG THE FUCKING RAPISTS PUBLICLY
HANG THE FUCKING RAPISTS PUBLICLY.
#PublicHangingOfRapists

— ھاشم (@hashpotato_1) September 9, 2020

HANG THE RAPIST
HANG THE RAPIST
HANG THE RAPIST
HANG THE RAPIST
HANG THE RAPIST
HANG THE RAPIST
HANG THE RAPIST
HANG THE RAPIST
HANG THE RAPIST
HANG THE RAPIST
HANG THE RAPIST
HANG THE RAPIST
HANG THE RAPIST
HANG THE RAPIST
HANG THE RAPIST#PublicHangingOfRapists #HangRapists

— Arooj (@dafuqq_) September 9, 2020

A lot of them also raised questions over the security arrangements guaranteed by the law enforcement agencies

There were 52 PSP officers out to support Shoaib Dastageer IG Punjab and there were NO single officer out to protect this family at ring road. You bloody b*as***s. What have you done to make this country safe? #PublicHangingOfRapists

— Umar Farooq Kalson (@kalson) September 9, 2020

Soon after the matter caught the attention of the authorities, Chief Minister Punjab, Usman Buzdar, took serious notice of the incident

He ordered the relevant authorities to investigate the matter and instructed them to arrest the culprits as soon as possible. He said that he hopes that justice will be served to the victim.

موٹروے کے قریب خاتون سے زیادتی کے واقعے پر وزیراعلیٰ پنجاب کا سخت نوٹس

انسپکٹر جنرل پولیس سے رپورٹ طلب کر لی

اس سنگین جرم میں ملوث مجرموں کو جلد از جلد گرفتار کیا جائے – وزیراعلیٰ کی ہدایت

"انشاء اللہ مظلوم خاتون کو انصاف فراہم کیا جائے گا" – وزیراعلیٰ عثمان بزدار

— Government of Punjab (@GOPunjabPK) September 9, 2020

Authorities have claimed that an FIR regarding the gang rape and robbery has already been registered as a result of the complaint filed by the relative of the woman. They have said, the investigation is under process and they’ve identified the village of the alleged rapists, they are also claiming to have arrested 12 suspects for investigation.

While authorities have sprung into action, women are just shocked at the continued lack of safety they have to live with and the continued dismissal of their valid demands

Yes we're not safe here, we were never, almost every girl i know has been through something like this, we're scared, we're told to be independent but we can't, ah what's this independence, she was mother of 2 and her children were with her#PublicHangingofRapists pic.twitter.com/LBp1KYxOXI

— Alisha💫 (@AlishaRazaa) September 9, 2020

It is time for men of this country to step up, claim responsibility for allowing a culture of violence and oppression against women to fester with casual misogyny, lack of acknowledgment of culpability and not understanding the very valid concerns consistently being raised by women for years, through important platforms like Aurat March. Certainly, laws regarding the protection of women need to be overhauled and strict implementation should be ensured to eliminate incidents like these but what’s most needed is for men to take responsibility for their actions.

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Cover image: Geo News via YouTube/ @AmmarZamann via Twitter