THIS is with reference to the report “Toba Tek Singh girl’s body exhumed, samples sent to forensic lab” (March 29). It is tragic that while the world at large celebrated social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women as part of the World Women’s Day earlier that month, we saw a brutal murder of a 22-year-old girl by her brother and father.

The harrowing incident unfolded in Chak 477 JB Allowal where the girl was strangled to death before being quietly buried; her voice silenced forever. A video related to this gruesome murder went viral on social media, and sent shockwaves across the country, reigniting conversations about the deep-rooted societal norms that continue to sanction such heinous crimes.

The video on social media captured the man strangling his sister, with other family members, including the victim’s sister-in-law, present during the chilling act. One brother recorded the murder, and the rest of the family watched the horror unfold, seemingly unperturbed. Shockingly, after the crime, the father of both the perpetrator and the victim even offered water to his culprit son.

In many such cases, the perpetrators, who are often close relatives of victims, are often able to evade justice due to legal loopholes that allow them to be pardoned by their own families. Maria Bibi’s murder has everything that is dark, brutal and immoral about our social existence. This should worry us.

Sarang Chandio
Islamabad

Published in Dawn, April 20th, 2024