EVEN though Pakistanis have witnessed several instances of extreme brutality in their country, once in a while an incident occurs that seems to eclipse all previous outrages.

The case, reported on Friday, in which a 10-year-old boy’s arms were severed in a village on the outskirts of Gujrat falls within this category of the exceedingly brutal.

As per reports, a dispute between the boy’s father and a local landlord led the latter’s son to allegedly push the minor on to a running water pumping machine causing the loss of both his arms. The boy’s hands had apparently been tied together.

Beyond expressing outrage and disgust at this inhuman crime, we need to delve deeper and examine the root causes of such incidents. After all, such episodes — and many similar ones — are indicative of a sick, dehumanised society.

Whether it is ‘honour’ killings, acid attacks or cases of rape or molestation, the weak and vulnerable in society — mostly children and women — are subjected to all kinds of outrages, with the perpetrators seldom brought to justice despite the existence of specific laws for these crimes.

We could blame such atrocities on feudal, tribal or medieval mindsets, yet such cases are also witnessed in urban, supposedly more ‘advanced’ areas. Such savage behaviour has indeed long existed in society, and it can be argued that today, it is mostly due to media exposure that such crimes are highlighted. For example, this particular incident took place on July 21, but made headlines only after it caught the media’s eye a few days later.

Arms of 10-year-old boy severed allegedly by landowner in Gujrat

The Punjab chief minister visited the victim, Tabassum Shahzad, on Friday and reportedly suspended some local police and health officials. But will the usual drill help put an end to such crimes?

Surely, if the guilty were punished, it would send a strong signal that the state will not tolerate barbarity and that there will be consequences for the perpetrators. But equally important is the need to explore ways to inculcate more humane values in society.

Published in Dawn, July 26th, 2014