A horrific incident has once again shattered claims of women’s safety under Punjab’s current administration, as a 17-year-old girl working to support her family was allegedly gang-raped by three men inside Zainab Tower in upscale Model Town.
The victim, whose father is labour from Okara supporting six siblings on limited earnings, worked at the commercial building for a monthly salary of just Rs 38,000. She told cops that one man from her office first raped her, left the scene, and was followed 10-15 minutes later by a second man who committed the same crime. Shortly afterwards a third man arrived, assaulted her, and left.
When the traumatised teenager approached the cops, officers pressured her to compromise and drop the serious matter, telling her the accused “will be released anyway.” Instead of protecting the survivor, police are accused of continuously pressuring her.
Worse still, First Information Report (FIR) publicly disclosed the girl’s full name, identity, address and other personal details which is clear violation of Pakistan’s Anti-Rape Act and repeated court orders that strictly prohibit revealing a rape victim’s identity. Journalists covering the case have blurred all identifying information out of professional responsibility, yet the police document laid her identity bare for the world to see.
The incident reignited fury over systemic police failure and victim-blaming culture in Punjab. Past cases including Motorway rape and the deaths of two nomadic women in custody, saw similar patterns of officials questioning the victims’ movements or character rather than pursuing justice.
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