The News Editorial: Sonia Naz's saga

The News editorial, dated September 14, 2005

Sonia Naz's saga

Since the beginning of this year, the media has played a positive and responsible role in highlighting rape cases occurring in the country. But some sections of the media have shown irresponsibility when dealing with this delicate and emotional issue. They have indulged in the character assassination of Mukhtaran Mai and Dr Shazia, and now they have turned their guns on Sonia Naz.

Her ordeal didn't end with her arrest in the National Assembly and then rape by law enforcers, the Sonia Naz saga was to continue. After she had been dealt with brutally, she was counting on support from her husband for whose safety she sacrificed her honour, her life and her happiness. On Tuesday, her husband, Asim Yousaf announced that he had no other option but to divorce her, as he "could not live with a woman about whom print media has been publishing stories for the last two weeks".

Such a strange statement only a week after Asim came out of hiding at the cost of his life to save his brave wife, mother of his two children, from further torture at the hands of his own family in particular, and society, in general. He has decided to divorce the woman who had staked everything for his release, to protect the future of his married and unmarried sisters.

Sadly Asim has only done what is considered correct in our society. But where was this society when Sonia Naz was being arrested for a crime as relatively trivial as trespassing in the National Assembly to seek the release of her husband? Where was this society when she was kidnapped and raped? And where were the champions of society when she moved to a shelter home after her in-laws evicted her from their home only because she was raped?

Unfortunately, this society is callous enough to allow Sonia Naz to be victimised again and again without raising so much as a voice. And this society can allow her character to be maligned without protesting because in our society a raped woman should do the honourable thing and stay mute for the sake of her family's reputation.

The Sonia Naz case should make us conscious of the lack of justice in the country, as well as the highhandedness of the elected politicians and the law enforcers, at whose mercy a person's life can be destroyed by a routine act. It should also focus attention on the callousness of a society that prefers to punish and ostracise the victim of a terrible crime.

Had the venerated members of the National Assembly just listened to the petition of a commoner, and given her due justice, her honour and her life as she had known it may have been saved.

In Pakistan, the raped are the bad guys!

The News article, dated September 13, 2005
Sonia’s husband sends in divorce

By Rauf Klasra

ISLAMABAD: Beleaguered Sonia Naz received another bolt from the blue yesterday. Only this time, it came from a man for whom she had staked her honour and even life -- husband, Asim Yousaf.

He sent in his divorce. Sonia received a message Monday from her absconding husband that he was divorcing her as he "could not live with a woman about whom print media has been publishing stories for the last two weeks".

Asim conveyed the message to Sonia residing, at Dastak Lahore, through her younger sister. He said he had taken the decision in consultation with his family members.

Earlier Sonia had sent a message to her in-laws that she along with her children wanted to live with them and they should take her from the shelter house.

Asim claimed he was under pressure from his parents and was forced to divorce her to thwart harmful affects of her episode on his married and unmarried sisters.

"From whom should I get justice for all that happened to me and this time no-one else but my own husband has wronged me. What is my fault," asked a devastated Sonia while talking to The News on phone.

She further said, "When I recount what happened to me in last five months, I cannot believe that this is happening to me. First, I lost my husband to police, then I was arrested in the National Assembly, put in Adiala jail for three days, abducted, tortured and raped by cops, driven out of my in-laws house, forced to work as a domestic servant to earn for my kids and, now this. It is hard to believe I am the same girl who was living a very normal life only last year after marrying Asim. I wonder what more is in store for me?" Sonia said.

In a strange move, Asim also sent photocopies of Urdu newspaper reports about their portrayal of Sonia's character to justify his decision to divorce her.

"I feel I have lost everything after getting a message of divorce from my husband, someone for whom I struggled for a year and suffered enormously in the process," a sobbing Sonia said.

She said, "Whatever happened to me was the direct outcome of an year's persistent efforts to get the father of my two kids released from illegal custody. Now, the same man for whom I suffered so much has decided to desert me in this world and our kids.

"Where will I go? I cannot even get a job to earn bread for my children because everyone knows that Sonia is a raped woman".

Of reports in the vernacular dailies, she said, "I am amazed to read stories about my past life and wonder what have I done to deserve this?"

She said she was an educated person, who believed in fighting injustice. "That was why, I decided to take on the cops when destroyed my family. But, now I am being taught a lesson by the society and media for breaking my silence against those who dishonoured me.

"I never expected all this, particularly from Asim, for whom, I did everything conceivable to get him justice.

Despite paying millions of rupees to the police, Asim could not win freedom. I had absolutely no idea that one day he, too, would leave me at a stage when I was taking shelter in Asma Jehangir's Dastak -- away from my children who are being taken care of by my mother and sister," Sonia said.

She said, "Asim might have accepted me even after the rape as he was initially convinced this was not my fault. Rather, he used to consider himself responsible for this tragedy. But, ever since the slander campaign against my character started making the rounds, he seems to have been misled and decided to leave me," Sonia said.

Sonia said the most painful thing for her was that Asim did not even wait for the outcome of the case she was pursuing to get justice.

"All government functionaries do is to come and partake photo-ops. I am living like a prisoner in Dastak as 20 cops are guarding me round the clock.

Even women police constables sleep in the same room where I go to bed. They don't even allow me to go to the bathroom on my own. I cannot meet my family. My children are away from me. I am sick of every thing," said Sonia totally exasperated.

Dawn Article: Pakistan being unfairly demonized: Musharraf

The reason we have to advocate the rights of our innocent women in every forum and with every lobby inside and outside the country is because Pakistan, the country, does not provide justice to its victims.

The General President is delusional. He says he will use all his ill-gotten power to crush those who raise the issue of rape in the International media. OK! Well, let me ask him how many rapists has his system convicted and sentenced? How many rape victims has he met and offered his sympathy and support? How can he sleep when these horrific acts are happening and going unpunished on his watch? My sympathies and allegiances
are with victims and their rights to justice rather than some government or some country.


Steps pledged to protect women: Pakistan being unfairly demonized: Musharraf

By Khawar Ghumman

ISLAMABAD, Sept 7: President General Pervez Musharraf on Wednesday assured government’s all-out support to curb violence against women but denounced individuals, groups and non-governmental organisations who singled out Pakistan on the issue.

“I feel hurt when people single out Pakistan at various international forums on the issue of violence against women. I will never stand with them. Instead, I will oppose them with all my power,” he said while addressing the inaugural session of the ‘Regional Conference on Violence Against Women’ here at a local hotel.

“People with certain political and financial agendas are involved in demonizing Pakistan and will be opposed with full force,” he said.

Referring to Dr Shazia Khalid, a rape victim who sought asylum in the UK, the president said: “We did not push her out of the country. Only after her request, she was sent abroad. And if she wants to come back, the government will provide her security.”

Dr Shazia, who was allegedly raped by security personnel at Sui, Balochistan, alleged after reaching the UK that she had left Pakistan because of “harassment” and denial of justice.

President Musharraf told delegates from 26 countries attending the two-day conference that the holding of the moot testified to Pakistan’s commitment to emancipation of women.

Violence against women is not an issue of Pakistan alone but has become a global issue, he said, adding: “Every 90 second a woman is raped in the US, every year 25,000 women are raped in France.”

A recent article in ‘India Today’ talked about women’s rape in India, and lack of judicial activism to provide them justice, the president said.

“Don’t wash your dirty linen outside, let’s wash it inside the country,” he said.

“You will never see women’s rights activists of these countries going abroad and singling out their countries in this regard. Instead, unlike Pakistan, they work together to find out ways of fighting against the menace,” the president said.

President Musharraf said all major religions, including Islam, have developed male-centred societies. Muslims have to see what the religious rights of women are, and harmonize them with their social and cultural practices, he said.

“Yes, there is a large gap between policy formulation and its implementation in the country. Passing of ordinances alone will not help us. We have to follow the right direction to reach the destination,” he said.

Criticizing previous governments, the president said the country twice had a woman as elected prime minister. She could have empowered women.

“It was me, a man in uniform, who supported women to have political authority. At present, there are 29,000 women at various tiers of local governments, 73 women in the National Assembly. We have to back them up, and they have to work hard for themselves,” he said.

The government has started 100 per cent government-funded Gender Reforms Action Programme (GRAP) for women’s emancipation; funds have been passed on to union council level; there are women crisis centres around the country; a law against honour killings has been passed, the president said.

The media is more liberated and the credit for this goes to the government. Cases like Mukhtaran Mai and Dr Shazia Khalid are coming to limelight, and the government is taking immediate actions, he said.

“Besides all these efforts, we have to sit together to get to the root causes of violence against women in the country. There is a need to change the mindset, change thinking and enlighten the minds of people,” he said.

Prime minister’s adviser on women development, Nilofar Bakhtiar, also spoke on the occasion.

The News Editorial: When will this end!

Are you as apalled as I am about the countless instances of rapes and gang-rapes of women in Pakistan? The rapists never, I repeat, never get punished. They are infact protected by the state machinery and the victims are harassed and abused if they try to bring their violators to justice. In the face of all this inhumanity, we remain silent spectators. Have we no humanity left in us? Where is justice?

When will it end?

Four days after Sonia Naz's case became public, the newspapers carried two stories: One of the gang rape of four women of the same family by 10 men in Ganju Hatta near Jalapur Pirwala in district Multan; and the other case that of a four-year-old girl being raped by her brother-in-law in Karachi. This crime was reported ten days after it had been committed.

Police claim: "That it was yet to be ascertained that the girl had been raped or not", but the wounds on the child's body reveal the torture she was subjected to. While the police authorities in Multan have been unable to find any clue to prosecute the criminals who committed the gang rape in the village of Ganju Hatta.

This surely is a paradox, as the same gang committed a similar crime six months ago in the same area and the police must have found some leads. Unfortunately, they find it difficult to capture 10 criminals at large in a small village. Is the police reluctant to pursue the law-breakers because they are aware of the criminals' identities, and prosecuting them will mean pointing a finger at those above the law?

The reason for the increase in sex crimes in Pakistan is mainly due to the lethargy and incompetence of the police force and the legal system. A rape case should not be allowed to remain pending for more than six months, it is psychologically and socially damaging for the victim(s).

If swift and exemplary punishments are publicly awarded to the criminals, it will set a precedence for other cases. It is the duty of the federal, provincial, city and town/village authorities to enforce law and order.

Wazzapennin Happensville!

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