I was amazed to read that Chief Justice of Pakistan has taken suo motu notice over the incident of self-immolation of a rape victim in Punjab. The teenaged victim of sexual assault, who immolated herself in frustration after police bailed out the alleged rapists, died the other day of severe burn injuries. Not long ago, Chief Justice also took notice of a gang-rape of a 40-year-old woman on the order of a jirga.
Though some may consider such suo motu notices quite timely to redress the rape victims, but I wonder how come these notices are of any worth. It was the same Supreme Court which upheld Lahore High Court judgement to release five of six accused of raping, now an icon women rights activist, Mukhtaran Mai, in 2011. Sixth man’s death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment. If Supreme Court has already set the precedent in such cases, then what’s the use of such suo motu notices. We also failed to see any suo motu action against a Karachi court judge who acquainted the rapists of a girl after the painful 5-year long trial. These rapists were not only identified in the ‘identity parade’ but were also proved through DNA tests. The honorable judge threw the case out on the lack of primary evidence — there were no four (4) male witnesses! Why Supreme Court didn’t come into action to stop such cruel treatment of rape victims in the name of religious and tribal values? The court needs to first put its own house in order; otherwise such suo motu notices are no more than a propaganda stunt.
MASOOD KHAN
Jubail, Saudi Arabia