Another Daughter, Another Funeral

Hello friends,

Only six days ago I wrote about a really painful case of a girl brutally murdered in islamabad. While the lenient verdict had been overturned by the Islamabad High Court and called for justice. Such a judgment represented a turning point we hoped.

Dana Yousaf, a young TikToker living her life in the capital city, will rest in peace today as yet another innocent girl became victim of gun violence in broad daylight inside her home.

SS, Dawn.com

She was 17 years old when she found out about her being pregnant. Before she perished, she cut a birthday cake in a TikTok video a day prior, smiling, apparently, until she realised the horror that awaited for her. Shot twice in the head on May 27th. She was killed point blank within her home in Islamabad by a killer who entered her house. The suspect, a 22 year old man, had been trying to get in touch with Dana police said. Rejection was something he was not able to deal with.

This was a case of ‘unwanted advances’ as well as ‘unreciprocated attention’. It was her refusal which cost her life.

_SS

This is not one of the isolated incidents. It in fact shows and highlights a disturbing trend. But like violence against women is increasing every other year in Pakistan, hundreds of cases go unreported, says Human Rights Commission of Pakistan. Girls and women in Pakistan are not only attacked in public but sometimes also at home, by family, rejected suitors or obsessed control freaks.

The Islamabad High Court had earlier this week made a similar comment in a case where a girl was shot dead for rejecting a marriage proposal. The court ruled that the sentence of 25 years was not enough and that those such murderers should be given death penalty and especially when there is no forgiveness from the family of the victim. It shows the judiciary slowly realising the need for harsher punishment — but what about prevention?

The National Commission for Women/National Commission on the Status of Women (NCSW) also criticized the murder of Dana, saying it was indicative of “strong undercurrents of patriarchal violence.” In their statement they stated their view of this madness being not about individual insanity, but a result of systemic failure. The societal crisis is one where the very act of a woman saying no is reason enough to get murdered for it.

Also not let’s forget the impact on families. Noor’s family, like Dana’s will never be the same. No punishment can ever bring her back, there is no court ruling. This is happening in Islamabad, in the heart of Pakistan. If our daughters cannot be safe in the capital, where can they be safe?

This is a wake up call. There is no time to delay action: We must demand that the urgent measures:

• Speedy justice for Dana Yousaf.
• Protection laws with strict
• Protection laws accompanied by strict enforcement.
• Awareness campaigns to teach young men that “no” means “no.”
• Cybercrime laws that are stronger to fight online harassment and to thwart it from becoming physical violence.

Why not we wait for another name to trend on social media? may Dana be the last of her name.

She was a young girl. And she had dreams. She was going to have a future.

She said no and she lost it all.

May she rest in peace. May we a nation rise that no girl settles and is doomed to bear the same fate.

Regards
artist1111