News Analysis |
A female PTI supporter was brutally assaulted by a PML-N man on Thursday. Nida Luqman, a graduate of Kinnaird College and mother of two, was dragged out of her car by the hair and then beaten on the street by a prominent PML-N supporter and trader. Nida was taking pictures of containers that had been put in place for Maryam Nawaz’s rally. She was leaning out from her car window when the man pulled her out by the hair and started kicking and beating her. Her clothes were torn and she suffered bruising on her body. This torture was meted out in broad daylight and in public.
.@Dr_YasminRashid strongly condemns PMLN Govts physical assault & violence against women & demands swift & strong action #NA120 5/7 pic.twitter.com/wKuJVXMJDw
— PTI (@PTIofficial) September 7, 2017
Time and time again, the ex-PM has displayed his contempt for legal institutions and belief that he and his family are above the law.
This incident marks yet another instance of blatant violence perpetrated by PML-N members and supporters. A few weeks ago, a twelve-year-old boy was crushed by Nawaz Sharif’s caravan on the GT road in Lalamusa. Despite the heavy presence of police in the surrounding area, the driver of the vehicle was not apprehended. The police even failed to ascertain the identity of the driver and those who were in the car. Reports indicated that the family of the boy was pressurized to not pursue legal action and was paid diyat (blood money) in place of legal proceedings. The legal process was completely circumnavigated in the whole affair.
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Such instances of unabashed dismissiveness of law indicate the core of Nawaz’s ideology. Time and time again, the ex-PM has displayed his contempt for legal institutions and belief that he and his family are above the law.
The mindset of lordship and sense of being untouchable is the result of the judiciary’s failure to act as a deterrent to crime. Legal institutions are not meant to ensure the thorough enforcement of the law however their duty is to act as a deterrent to crime. When the powerful kill and torture in broad daylight without the fear of repercussions, a society’s perception of law devolves into cynicism.
Khawaja Asif’s chauvinistic comments on the floor of the National Assembly when he unleashed a diatribe against PTI MNA Shireen Mazari’s appearance are ample evidence of the twisted psychology that plagues the nation’s largest party.
PML-N’s political campaign in NA-120 is being run for the election of Kulsoom Nawaz, a respected woman. The campaign is being managed by Maryam Nawaz, her daughter and a leader of the party. The irony is that despite the fact that women are at the forefront of PML-N, the men of the party are openly misogynistic and perpetrate violence against women. Nida is one of many women who has been subjected to humiliation at the hands of PML-N supporters and members.
Read More: PML-N’s problems’ cut deeper than Nawaz
The misogynist mindset seems to be ingrained in PML-N. Khawaja Asif’s chauvinistic comments on the floor of the National Assembly when he unleashed a diatribe against PTI MNA Shireen Mazari’s appearance are ample evidence of the twisted psychology that plagues the nation’s largest party.
No legal action has yet been taken against Nida’s tormentor. Dr. Yasmin Rashid, PTI’s candidate for the seat of NA-120, has vowed that she will pursue legal action against the man.