Following a wide spread anger across social media after the gang-rape of a woman on the Lahore-Sialkot motorway, massive crowds including several celebrities turned up in different cities of the country to protest against the gruesome incident and seek justice for the survivor.
Several leading faces of the Pakistani entertainment industry showed up in full force at the Karachi Press Club on Monday to register their protest against the horrific crime committed on the Lahore motorway where a woman was gang-raped by two men in front of her children.
The protest was attended by hundreds of participants carrying banners and signs that displayed the anger and resentment of the masses against such crimes. The protesters demanded the government to ensure swift justice to the rape survivor while also making sure that there are effective measures in place for the security of women across the country.
The many celebrities that attended the protest included Sarwat Gilani, Ayesha Omar, Mahira Khan, Adnan Siddiqui, Aijaz Aslam, Sarah Khan, Yasir Hussain, Maheen Khan, Frieha Altaf, Deepak Perwani, Mansha Pasha and Anoushey Abbasi among others.
Some of the celebrities took their turn in addressing the rally as they delivered impassioned speeches regarding not only the particular incident but also the unjust treatment of rape survivors in the society.
“We [the women] live under a constant fear of getting raped, harassed and kidnapped. You don’t need to remind us that we are unsafe but provide us the security we need,” said Ayesha Omar in response to the CCPO Lahore’s distasteful comments where he claimed women must realise it’s unsafe for them to travel alone at night implying that the Lahore rape survivor was responsible for her predicament.
The actor further dismissed victim blaming saying that it’s always the rapist who should be held responsible for their heinous act while calling for a speedy trial in such cases.
Similarly, Mahira Khan while lamenting on the fact that for the longest time the word ‘rape’ lacked an Urdu synonym highlighted that such crimes that are committed against women end up being considered a loss of dignity for the victim rather than the culprit.
“It’s in fact the rapist who has been stripped off his honour and not the victim. The shame should shadow over the criminal for life and not the woman,” she said adding the culture of victim shaming and blaming needs to end.
While speaking to a private news channel, actor Ali Rehman Khan called for a robust system to ensure the protection of women while also demanding for the culprits to be held accountable.
“I hope we can make our society safe enough for women,” said Sarah Khan adding that she has kept two guards for her safety but a lot of women cannot afford to do so. “If even now we fail to take action against these monstrous crimes, I don’t think we’ll ever be able to,” she further said while speaking to a news channel.
Similar calls of an exemplary punishment for the rapists, protection of rape survivors and women while ending the narrative of victim blaming were made by several celebrities who attended the protest.
Earlier, several protests were held across the country in order to bring light to the systematic misogyny and the inability of the government to safeguard women.
People from various backgrounds and professions gathered to raise their voice against the motorway gangrape and called on the government to ensure swift justice. The protesters were also angered by the controversial statement of the CCPO Lahore who blamed the victim for getting raped; as hundreds were seen carrying banners and chanting slogans as they demanded the cop’s removal.
Earlier, several protests were held across the country in order to bring light to the systematic misogyny and the inability of the government to safeguard women.
People from various backgrounds and professions gathered to raise their voice against the motorway gangrape and called on the government to ensure swift justice. The protesters were also angered by the controversial statement of the CCPO Lahore who blamed the victim for getting raped; as hundreds were seen carrying banners and chanting slogans as they demanded the cop’s removal.
