By Infal Asmat Ghuman
What now needs to be highlighted is the domestic abuse and insecurity is that women of all social strata go through in Pakistan. In 2017 Pakistan was ranked fourth among the world’s worst countries for women. Shocking? Why is it so? Even-though our religion and culture restrain us from misbehaving with women. But it just deteriorates: about 27% of Pakistani ladies have confronted brutality from their partners, while just 51% of ladies have a sense of security working alone during the evening in the city or the territory that they live in.
Even the people from higher societies or associated with the showbiz industry are no more exempted from resorting to domestic violence. Just have a look at the domestic scuffle between the Actor/singer Mohsin Abbas Haider and his wife Fatima Sohail which has been in the limelight for a while now.
Fatima Sohail has accused Mohsin Abbas of subjecting her to torture after she unearthed his alleged relationship with another woman.
Fatima Sohail’s voice represents millions of women who suffer abuses everywhere
“When I confronted him, instead of being embarrassed he started beating me. I was pregnant at that time! He pulled me [by the] hair, dragged me on [the] floor, kicked me several times, punched me [in the] face and threw me on the wall,” stated Fatima Sohail in her Facebook post on July 21, 2019. She accused him of cheating on her and domestic abuse when she was three months pregnant.
However Mohsin Abbas categorically dismissed all the allegations leveled by his wife.
While recording his side of the story, the actor/singer was of the view that each and every allegations against him is unmerited. He said that if Fatima wouldn’t like to remain with him, no one can compel her to do so. He presumed that with mutual understanding this issue can be settled. Fatima, then again, repeated that had been ruthlessly mishandled. She said that the photos she has shared on her internet based life are from a past occurrence.
The Mohsin-Fatima domestic violence case will definitely run in the court and the victim will be justified in a due course of time through a proper legal procedure. However even as by now, Fatima’s voice represents millions of women who suffer abuse at homes, offices or other places. The people from the industry are coming forward to testify her and to lend her support. The person who abuses once can abuse again. It’s really brave of Fatimah to call out her culprit.
Now what lies ahead is the sense of an urgency required on the part of concerned authorities in Pakistan to consider the alarming situation of women’s rights violations. The laws needs to be enforced with full force and women should psychologically assured that they will be safe in this country. The “macho” masculine notion of men needs to be abandoned. Social equality of all genders should be ensured with due respect to each other. Such mentality can be exercised through public awareness programs, think tanks, seminars and strict implementation of laws. Pak Sar Zameen has to spare some space for Bint e Hawa.
