THE latest report of a panchayat-ordered rape has revived memories of the ‘verdict’ of another unofficial ‘court’ that resulted in the horrifying gang rape of Mukhtaran Mai in 2002. It was her ‘punishment’ for her brother’s alleged rape of a young woman. Convention required that she bear her fate in silence — just like so many others whose spirit and bodies have been broken by such physical assault. Instead, with courageousness that cannot be lauded enough, she chose to speak out about her ordeal, becoming a global figure in her campaign for justice for women against whom heinous crimes are committed in the name of ‘honour’ — often as a result of a parallel adjudication system that has no standing in the eyes of the law. The result of her bravery was widespread revulsion and outrage at home and abroad, and a sustained focus on eliminating crimes of ‘honour’ in this country. In the years since, Pakistan has passed both federal and provincial laws that variously seek to curb such crimes and outlaw the holding of jirgas or panchayats. It is also claimed that the awareness of law-enforcement authorities regarding crimes against women has increased. But have we really witnessed a tangible difference? Not at all, it would appear, given the news that surfaced on Wednesday that a teenaged girl in Multan district was recently subjected by a panchayat to gang rape as ‘honour revenge’ for her brother’s alleged rape of a minor.

Official circles have since seen a fair amount of commotion. Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar has taken suo motu notice of the incident, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has formed an investigation committee and ordered that a report be produced within a few days, and suspension orders have gone out regarding several officers at the police station concerned. The police have registered FIRs and several members of the panchayat have been arrested (though not the alleged rapists). Even so, there is reason to be concerned whether the child in question will ever see justice. The fact remains that in spite of the focus in recent years on crimes of a sexual nature, and increased reporting of such cases, societal attitudes are proving to be hard to alter. The only way to achieve this is through the exemplary enforcement of the law. The state must take the recent outrage as a litmus test of its resolve.

Published in Dawn, July 28th, 2017