Such heinous sexual abuse crimes against children have occurred in numerous countries, involving ordinary citizens, politicians, clergy, media persons and even public office holders, but state and society have come down with an iron hand to punish criminals and protect minor children from abuse. Attempts are made to cover up by police, administration and governments, not just in Punjab but also in KP, Sindh and Balochistan when abuse of women and minor children are rarely exposed by media.
There is not one incidence where state has exposed these crimes and used full might of its power to protect the poor and weak by punishing these criminals, be it killers of Shahzeb or Hamza in Karachi, or Zain in Lahore Cantonment, or burying alive of young women in Balochistan justified as honour killings or numerous incidents in KP. Unless the state, ruling elite and our establishment submit themselves for reform and agree for supremacy of law and constitutional rights of citizens, how can we prevent terrorists and religious fundamentalists from recruiting those driven to desperation by injustices?
The IG Punjab Police while addressing Press Conference in Kasur stated that this was an Islamic society where such crimes brought shame and could not be tolerated. If this had been an Islamic society, the state should have exposed this crime and summarily tried all members of local administration and police in whose presence such crimes were being committed. The children subjected to sexual abuse and blackmail in Kasur come from very humble and poor families, some of whom after initial resistance may have submitted to rape because it was inevitable, but this does not lessen or dilute gravity and depravity of criminals involved and police or district administration who by their inaction became abettors of such crimes.
Mere performance of Umrahs or spending last few days of Ramzan by elite at Makka, or giving charity by men who rob the state and deprive poor of their lands, or announcing holidays on religious occasions and holding seminars does not qualify society or country right to claim itself an Islamic state. Such an unjust system can only be termed hypocrisy.
ALI MALIK
Lahore
