In the aftermath of the extremely sad turn of events in the Qandeel Baloch saga, where the poor young woman was brutally murdered, that too, by her own brother, a set of debates have started in the country and are being played out on the media, both mainstream and social.
The liberati have taken to saying that she was a feminist icon and a role-model. They are completely entitled to that opinion. There are others who might not agree with that but completely abhor the murder and feel a genuine sadness on it. There would also be those who would admire the late, brave woman’s gumption, resilience and ingenuity to rise from the peripheries and not approve of her lifestyle yet be positively devastated by her murder.
It is an entire spectrum.
While the holier-than-thou within the liberati thrash it out amongst each other over the very exact phrasing with which to condemn the murder of Qandeel Baloch (as some did with the PPP’s senator Sherry Rehman) an important issue is slipping by.
That of legislation on violence against women. That of the state’s becoming a complainant by default and making sure that the qisas and deeyat laws are either changed — or, punching above our weight a bit — done away with.
At a rare moment when the conservatives (including Maulana Sheerani of the CII) and the liberals are on the same page with regards to the area, the jetset within the liberati are bent upon creating divisions within their own ranks by insisting everyone be outraged in exactly the same manner that they are.
Let us not let the impetus provided by this sad incident go to waste. Let’s ensure proper legislation to the effect that no one is able to get away with something like this in the future.
Too many talk shows on TV debating her lifestyle when they should be pushing the government into legislation. Too many being accused on social media that if their beliefs about the issue don’t conform to a very particular, very specific set of standards, then they are a part of the problem.
If we do legislate, then there would be no better tribute to the memory of a brave young woman who lived life on her own terms.