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After the rape and murder of 7-year-old Zainab Ansari, many thought that the vice of sexual abuse against children and incidents of rape and murder can be curbed. Many believed that the capture of Imran Ali would send a message to all pedophiles and rapists, that there is no place to hide for them. Sadly, it didn’t.
The recent events, however, have proved that sexual abuse against children is a vice so deeply knit in Pakistan, that it might take decades for the country to supervise children against these predators that roam so freely on the streets.
Once again, a tragic incident has taken place in Punjab. This time, in Jaranwala, Faisalabad. A 7-year-old girl named Mubashira, has been raped and murdered by ‘namaloom afraad’. The end result, sadly, is even worse than Zainab Ansari, whose body was thrown in a heap of trash after taking her life.
Mubashira, who was a 2nd grade student, was subjected to sexual abuse, then later strangle to death. To hide the insane crime, the culprit mutilated the little child’s body, cutting off one of her limbs so it could fit in a sack. The incident is not being highlighted on social media, neither on mainstream media, due to no emotional bridge being created between the protesters and the audience.
After constant protests for days in Jaranwala, Faisalabad, by the locals and the family of Mubashira, the Chief Justice of Pakistan, Mian Saqib Nisar has finally taken notice of the incident. Even though the IG Punjab had already committed to work rigorously in the investigation, the judiciary has once again been involved. The CJP has called report from Punjab Inspector General Police within 48 hours.
The body of little Mubashira was recovered from a drain in Dijkot. After the initial fears, the postmortem report confirmed that 7-year-old Mubashira, indeed, before her murder, had been raped. The protesters in Faisalabad since have called for a shutter-down strike and have resorted to a mob-like behavior, burning tires, and attacking local transport.
The pain engraved in their hearts must be doubled due to the response of the nation in the case of Zainab Ansar and Bushra Bibi from KPK. The selective attitude of the general populous, where a picture can create a relationship between the country and a victim, can lead to quick arrests in such cases. However, in other cases such as the one of Mubashira, remain ignored and sidelined.
