RAWALPINDI: Pakistani politicians and members of the entertainment industry have expressed outrage and disgust on social media this week over an August 14 public assault of a woman near the Minar-e-Pakistan monument in the central city of Lahore.
The incident, for which a case has been registered against hundreds of men, sent shock waves across the country after videos of a mob attacking and sexually assaulting the woman were shared online on Tuesday.
The incident occurred at the Greater Iqbal Park, home to the Minar-e-Pakistan monument, built to commemorate the first official call for a separate and independent homeland for the Muslims of British India by the All-India Muslim League Party in 1940. Pakistan became an independent country seven years later, on August 14. Each year, thousands of people flock to the monument to mark independence day.
The survivor of the attack is reportedly a TikToker and was shooting videos in the park when she was sexually assaulted by a mob of at least 400 men, she has said in media interviews. Non-bailable clauses have been added to the police case filed against the mob and Prime Minister Imran Khan and Chief Minister Usman Buzdar are personally following the case, according to their close aides.
Celebrities and politicians, too, have come out to express anger and grief.
Pakistan’s best known actress Mahira Khan has called for the men in the videos to be made “examples” of.
“I can’t believe what I just saw!!! I’ve said it before and I will say it again — make an example out of these men!”
I can’t believe what I just saw!!! I’ve said it before and I will say it again - make an example out of these men!
#MinarePakistan— Mahira Khan (@TheMahiraKhan) August 17, 2021
Khan also called out the ‘victim blaming’ that has become a common occurrence in Pakistan after such attacks, saying, “I’m sorry.. I keep forgetting — it was Her fault!! Poor 400 men they couldn’t help it.”
Damn I’m sorry.. I keep forgetting - it was Her fault!! Poor 400 men.. they couldn’t help it. #MinarePakistan
— Mahira Khan (@TheMahiraKhan) August 17, 2021
Actress Mansha Pasha also voiced her frustration over the victim blaming and called out people asking why the woman was in a public space on a public holiday and shooting a TikTok video.
“This whole drama of why was she there and what was she wearing is getting really old and no one is buying it anymore,” Pasha tweeted. “We don’t want to do anything to protect women and we want to keep stripping you of dignity because we can.”
This whole drama of why was she there and what was she wearing is getting really old and noone is buying it anymore.
Sahi se eik hi dafa bol do, we dont want to do anything to protect women and we want to keep stripping you of dignity because we can.— Mansha Pasha (@manshapasha) August 18, 2021
The Pakistani PM's advisor on religious harmony, Tahir Mahmood Ashrafi, also addressed the victim blaming, saying even a woman who was naked in public could not be assaulted:
اگر كوئ عورت بغير لباس كےبهى هو تو اس كو هراساں كرنے كى اجاذت نهى دى جاسكتى. جرم اور اس په دليل هى تباهى كا سبب بنتى هے
— TahirMahmoodAshrafi حافظ محمد طاهراشرفى (@TahirAshrafi) August 19, 2021
Actor Farhan Saeed voiced his grief over the incident, saying he felt “ashamed” of being a man.
“Disgusted, Furious, Heartbroken, Ashamed! Ashamed of being a man today, ashamed that the men of this country keep doing these horrible acts every other day,” he wrote on Twitter.
Disgusted , Furious , Heartbroken , Ashamed !
Ashamed of being a man today , ashamed that the men of this country keep doing these horrible acts every other day, ashamed that the law of my country does not hang these predators so that this doesn't happen again #MinarePakistan— Farhan Saeed (@farhan_saeed) August 17, 2021
“Another day, another incident, another moment we find ourselves collectively hanging our heads in shame,” Actor Osman Khalid Butt, who is considered a male ally, said, demanding that authorities take action and bring the perpetrators to justice.
Another day, another incident, another moment we find ourselves collectively hanging our heads in shame.
Action, not just condemnation.
Bring the perpetrators to justice.— Osman Khalid Butt (@aClockworkObi) August 17, 2021
Actor Adnan Siddiqui also demanded the police act fast.
“Now that we have a plethora of evidence of what unfolded at #minarepakistan, can we finally see our police in action by putting those men responsible for this gruesome act behind the bars?” he wrote on Twitter.
Now that we hav a plethora of evidence of what unfolded at #minarepakistan Can we finally see our police in action by putting those men responsible for this gruesome act behind the bars? Is this too much to ask for our women?#400men #lahoreincident #needanswers #protectourwomen
— Adnan Siddiqui (@adnanactor) August 18, 2021
Author, journalist and activist Fatima Bhutto called on authorities to arrest the culprits without delay.
“While assaulting a woman at Minar e Pakistan, the hundreds of men involved filmed themselves,” she tweeted. “Thanks to the abundance of video evidence, can we expect over 400 arrests to be made in Lahore without delay?“
While assaulting a woman at Minar e Pakistan, the hundreds of men involved filmed themselves. Thanks to to the abundance of video evidence, can we expect over 400 arrests to be made in Lahore without delay? @PunjabPoliceCPO
— fatima bhutto (@fbhutto) August 17, 2021
As the videos and calls for justice went viral, the #NotAllMen hashtag trended in Pakistan, a phrase mostly used as a general defense of men in gendered criticisms of their behavior.
“I want to hear what the “not all men” brigade has to say this time,” actor Mawra Hocane said.
I want to hear what the “not all men” brigade has to say this time!!!
Hope this incident is dreadful enough to open your eyes..atleast this time there will be no judgement about the girl & how she could have AVOIDED the situation!
Extremely DISGUSTED! Disturbing!#lahoreincident— MAWRA HOCANE (Hussain) (@MawraHocane) August 18, 2021
“We cannot continue to bury our heads in the sand. #Pakistan is not safe. Not for our women. Not for our children,” said Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari, the sister of Pakistan People’s Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and the daughter of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.
“Our children aren’t safe from rape even in death. This is the disgusting shameful reality.”
We cannot continue to bury our heads in the sand. #Pakistan is not safe. Not for our women. Not for our children. Our children aren’t safe from rape even in death. This is the disgusting shameful reality. #MinarePakistan
— Aseefa B Zardari (@AseefaBZ) August 18, 2021
Senator Sherry Rehman said she was disgusted at the misogyny in questioning the victim’s clothing or lifestyle:
“All of the public predators should be in jail; people sharing the video should be ashamed of salacious posting,” she said.
Disgusted at the misogyny popping up everywhere in questioning a girl’s clothing,life,right to public spaces after the heinous #minarepakistan mass-abuse of a tiktok star.All of the public predators should be in jail;people sharing the video should be ashamed of salacious posting
— SenatorSherryRehman (@sherryrehman) August 18, 2021
Politician and activist Mohammad Jibran Nasir wrote of the impunity that men felt while committing such crimes in Pakistan:
“Laws alone can’t fix our moral and social degeneration,” he tweeted. “They didn’t care for sanctity of another person’s body, they didn’t care about sanctity of #MinarePakistan, they didn’t care about sanctity of #Muharram and they didn’t care that stripping a woman carries the death penalty.”
They didn't care for sanctity of another person's body, they didn't care about sanctity of #MinarePakistan, they didn't care about sanctity of #Muharram and they didn't care that stripping a women carries the death penalty. Laws alone can't fix our moral and social degenaration.
— M. Jibran Nasir (@MJibranNasir) August 17, 2021
