Numerous distressful events sadden our lives. But what may leave a permanent scar on our collective conscience for a long time is how every state institution colluded in failing to prevent the pain, torture, rape, forced conversion and fraudulent marriage of the 13 year old girl Arzoo.
The unethical lawyers who bent backwards to defend the 44 year old criminal, knowing fully well that the girl was 13 year old and the marriage was a fraudulent affair.
The Nikah Khawan who trashed his religion and solemnized the wedding of a 13 year old girl, knowing fully well that she was below the minimum legal age for marriage.
The Preedy Police Station’s criminal SHO who was asked to protect the girl but he allowed her to disappear so she may continue to be raped and tortured.
The Union Council that was happy to stamp documents to register a forced and fraudulent marriage.
The Sindh Child Protection Authority that took no cognizance, remained entirely unconcerned and failed to play its primary role to provide protection to the abused child.
The Sindh Social Welfare Department led by the Chief Minister that failed to make a single child protection centre despite numerous false promises in the last 10 years.
We hang our heads in shame for we chose to remain silent and for failing to hold the state institutions accountable for their incompetence and dysfunctionality.
More power to you Jibran Nasir. You give pride and hope to Pakistan and its people, when each and every institution of the state gangs up in favour of torture, rape, forced conversion and illegal marriage of a 13 year old girl.
Naeem Sadiq