IT is still open season on hatred and sexual violence against little girls and young women across Pakistan.

Over the past one week, we have learnt of uncles and brothers-in-law raping, brutally torturing and killing seven-year old Kainat in Karachi; four on-duty employees of the Capital Development Authority raping a young woman in Islamabad’s Fatima Jinnah F-9 park; rape in Rawalakot; (dis)honour killings in Lahore, Muzaffargarh and D.G. Khan; poverty-induced parental murder of girls in Nawabshah; a mullah assaulting a girl in a Multan madressah; targeted attacks by militant extremists/terrorists against girls’ education: two girls’ schools burnt in Pishin and 14 bombed/burnt in Diamir. Then there is the rape-murder of Kasur’s five-year old Zainab. These are only the cases reported in the media — the merest tip of a huge iceberg.

Till when will we continue to turn a collective blind eye to these atrocities? “We” include us all: me, you, parents, siblings, relatives, teachers, employers, employees, philanthropists, community, social workers, activists, civil servants, government officials, politicians, legislators and legislatures, local governments, security forces, judiciary, academicians, litterateurs, showbiz and sports personalities, the media, civil society and the state. No exceptions.

We all know what needs to be done. When will we show the courage and resolve required to combat it; to put our money where our mouth is, and take concrete action?

Tahira Abdullah

Islamabad

Published in Dawn, August 10th, 2018