What must a woman do if she is harassed on the street in Pakistan? She has two options: grind her teeth and bear it, or go to a police station and initiate legal proceedings.
Yes, we actually have laws against sexual harassment on the street. Section 509 of the Pakistan Penal Code (also known as Act XLV of 1860) and related sections of the Criminal Procedure Code (Schedule II, Act V of 1898) were amended in 2010 to include a wide range of acts, including sexual harassment on the street, that ‘outrage the modesty’ of women. Punishment includes imprisonment of up to three years, or a fine of up to Rs500,000, or both.
The purpose of these changes, according to the recommendations forwarded by the National Assembly was to ‘make the public and work environment safer for women’, ‘open up the path for more women to pursue livelihood with dignity’; and reap the ‘social benefits… of providing protection for [sic] women’ and enabling to become ‘a major contribution [!] to the development of this country’. Sounds great thus far.
The implementation of said laws, however, is a different story altogether, as I found out the hard way this week. I was merrily on my way from somewhere to somewhere one evening, when a young man on a bike decided to become attached to my cab for around 30 minutes and indulge in all possible methods of sexual harassment barring actual physical contact. Since I don’t own a gun, and I’ve unfortunately lost my knuckle-duster, there was little I could do at the time than close my eyes and hope he’d bugger off soon. I got the registration number of his bike, though.
The next day, I went to the Taimuria Police Station to lodge an FIR. The duty officer heard me out and then asked me if I knew the young man. I most certainly did not, I replied. But that didn’t stop him from insisting that I probably did know the harasser; until I snapped and asked him if sexual harassment by a familiar person counted as a lesser crime. He then shuttled me off to the SHO of the Hyderi Police Station, muttering something about jurisdiction.
The same story was repeated at the Hyderi thhaana until I snapped again and was bundled off to the DSP of North Nazimabad. This gentleman took it upon himself to ask me to show him what had happened. “What exactly did the man say and do,” he asked, wide-eyed in anticipation. Predictably, 10 minutes later, I snapped again, and followed it up with a rant about ‘harassment all over again’ (I know this because I’d recorded the proceedings on my phone).
Mr DSP, however, is one cool cucumber. Once I was out of steam, he calmly told me that his ‘boys’ had acted the way they did because I was ‘intimidating’, and so on and so forth. Of course that makes it okay; silly me to think otherwise! I didn’t have the energy to rant any more.
So, did I get my FIR? No, sir. Eighty-five minutes later, I walked away with a migraine, a written complaint, and orders for officers concerned from the DSP to get back to me within two days. That was a week ago. I’m thinking of going back soon to ask them to update the calendars at the thhaana.
Seventeen years ago, when I got my first passport at the age of 10, the issuing officer had jokingly told me that I was now officially a citizen of Pakistan. I’d signed a contract with the state in the form of the constitution and related laws, he had said; I had responsibilities towards the state, and in turn, like in any other relationship, the state had a responsibility towards me. I took his words to heart. As a citizen, I continue to fulfil my responsibilities to the best of my abilities, but I’m still unable to claim my rights. As such, my relationship with the State of Pakistan is thoroughly dysfunctional, and as I was reminded last week, often extremely abusive. Unfortunately, we can’t break up.
‘Grinding my teeth and bearing it’ is not an option either. I’d sought help from the state, and I’m yet to see any results. My harasser is still roaming free, probably doing to other women exactly what he did to me. And he’s just one amongst hundreds of thousands of similar sociopaths who seem to thrive in Pakistan. So, coming back to my main question, what is a woman to do in such a situation?
PS: If you’re wondering what buffaloes have to do with any of this, you, dear reader, must update your dictionary of Karachi street slang. And what do you mean women can’t cuss! Leg of buffalo!
The writer is a researcher and freelance journalist based in Karachi. She’s generally found lurking online on Twitter (@UroojZia) or at [email protected].
I am saddened to hear your experience and attitude of our so called "muhafizis." Equally do I appreciate your courage to stand-up for yourself. We need more like you and end my note with sincere sympathies for your concerns. A day will come when each of us will be seen with respect they deserve. So keep it up.
Amen to that. 🙂
the real issue is that our society continues to regard women as liabilities that could at any moment bring 'dishonour' to the family by even talking to a 'na mehram'.this whole mentality of a family's ghairat being tied upto the virginity status of their daughter or sister's is at the root of the problem.no one talks about the elephant in the room,it's not our culture that's the real problem.urooj why don't you blog about the rising trend of hijabis in our country and the people and organisations behind spreading this trend.i didn't see so many abayas and hijabs 15-20 years ago,journalists should tell us how and through which organisations did this all happen?
one can either whine about the mud on the streets or save his/herself from getting the mud one themselves.
Explanation: one can either expect that all men(women) should become very modest and treat each and every women(men) like his mother/sister/daughter(father/brother/son) or one can her/himself "guard their modesty" (and the easiest way is to wear a hijab)
Dear Zakir,
Please send me your address so I can TCS a burqa to you post-haste to help you "guard your modesty".
Wait, what?! You mean only women should be forced to wear a burqa? This, by the way, is the argument that all rapists give too; she asked for it, they say. Are you a rapist?
Oh and do you know that gender-based violence is NOT about what a woman wears or does? If it were, every woman in, say, the Scandivanian countries would be raped. If it were, Mukhtar Mai, for instance, would not have been gang-raped. Rape is about twisted, patriarchal, psychotic notions of power, not sex. Learn to read things other than what your apparently inherent asshattery shows you.
Let me make this clearer: No, you nutjob, the "easiest way" is NOT to bundle women off into oblivion. The "easiest way" is to LEARN TO KEEP IT IN YOUR GODDAMNED PANTS. Idiot.
Zakir:
Found an alternative!
Why not put a one-size-short stainless steel ring on your manhood to moderate your undue excitements and maintain your own modesty. And to teach you to respect others freedom and sense of modesty, irrespective of their gender, you may like to receive some caning on your behind on a daily recommended dose.
Should work better…
Anjum: I agree completely, and would love to do that, but the problem is that there isn't one specific organisation that did this, is there? Its a collective mindset that has actually been propagated through academic education. The rot is too deep-seated.
agreed,but u being a journalst could use your blog to shed light on th e likes farhat hashmi & the way she operates it would be informative.
@zakir,what is this sick obsession of our men with forcing women to 'guard their modesty? our mujahids of islam need to look up the term 'self control' in the dictionary.
Anjum as much of a feminist i personally am I dont see any problems with the hijaab and abayas. Excuse me for being so blunt but i think that was very illogical and absurd not to mention it only showed your lack of knowledge about the religion. We are four sisters and two of us wear hijaabs as our personal choice and the other two do not as there choice, but it doesnt have anything to do with the sexual harassment cases each of us has to deal with on a daily basis.
I think the real issue in this incident and god knows how many others like this and lawlessness in general in Pak, is the prevailing understanding that people can commit a crime and can get away with it too. We see this from not stopping on a stop sign (not stop light) to Become president and commit whatever corruption and other unlawful acts one can commit. Since this behavior is directly result of powerful peoples not abiding by laws, therefore masses from middle or poor classes commit crime the moment they get an opportunity to show off(as subconsciously this makes them feel part of the ruling class). So simple answer is somehow make the ruling class in Pak to abide by laws of the state and these incidents will automatically be reduced to almost none. Otherwise, we will keep reading such articles for foreseeable future..Now this does not mean what this person did to you is condoneable act at all.
May allah give you courage to follow up and get the results
Frustrating 🙁
the police bahadur is as useless as garbage in the dustbin
Had I been there in same position I would have slammed my car into that bastard
Harassment is a crime. To imagine that the police is involved is then there is nowhere to turn. But the people responsible are arrested, tried in court and imprisoned – this will not happen again. To case in point is that women should not consider separate from society they live in. The men who behave in this way are brothers and sons – why do they act they way they do. This is not a collective mindset of all the men in society. Not all men misbehave with women – not pass it off by saying 'male dominated society' because there is no such thing. They are disconnected somehow from what they see at home and what they are doing – they are blindly obedient at home – the minute they step out of the house – think anyone outside is a prey – no connections no responsibilities. Forgetting that the same rules apply outside home. Men are just as much restricted at home as women are. In fact parents even more reason distrust their sons – thinking they will end up in bad company. When there are moral standards – they apply to both sexes not just one. Can a woman really say that all others of their sex are honest, hard working, equally intelligent. The same thing applies to character and morality. There are just as many women in jail as there are men. To blast an entire sex for the way they behave is wrong and unjust.
Sorry about all this but you are doing your best. Don't give up.
Urooj, I can imagne how you must have felt that day and I admire you so much for the courage to stand up for yourself. I know we cant just stand there as if nothing happened but the ugly truth is that no one abides by the law in pakistan…
teaches you never to leave home without your knuckle dusters. seriously though, its a horrible situation. And we call ourselves 'Islamic'. Leg of buffalo!
I DO NOT APPRICTE UR COURGE
"I DO NOT APPRICTE UR COURGE "
What ??? Did you mean "DO NOT" for real or it's just a typo?
I wish you explained….
hm
HUMM
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