- Preteen raped in Sindh, Pakistan
- Netizens call for justice from authorities
- Two accused arrested
Dubai: Disturbing pictures and videos from a rape case of a preteen who belongs to the Hindu community in Sindh, Pakistan, have surfaced and caused an outcry online.
The incident reportedly took place on Friday, June 7. After the girl, identified as Jamna Saami, was forcefully intoxicated and sexually assaulted by two men, she was allegedly left in a sports ground around her district.
Pictures and videos taken by people who later found her went viral online.
Conflicting reports on the girl’s exact age have emerged. However, most local news sources said that she was around 12 years old.
The police arrested the accused and registered a first information report (FIR) against them. However, many believed that action should have been taken sooner.
The accused have been identified as brothers Roshan Shaikh and Rajab Shaikh. Hindu rights activist, Kapil Dev, @KDSindhi shared the picture of the accused.
After the spread of the news, people were outraged and the hashtag #JusticeforJamna became the top trend on Twitter across Pakistan.
People called for better protection of children and minorities. They also discussed women’s safety in the country.
Prior to the arrests being made, tweep @bilalfqi posted: “11-year-old girl in Sujawal, Sindh, reportedly abducted, administered an intoxicant and raped. She was later beaten and left at a ground. Sindh government must ensure that the men who did this are behind bars ASAP! [as soon as possible] #JusticeForJamna”
Similarly, Twitter user @EngrMianAyub called for action from authorities: “Regardless of her religion, Jamna is a daughter of #Pakistan, she is Pakistani. Whole Pakistan [is] raising its voice for the Justice of this innocent girl. This should stop now. The culprits should be punished death sentence. #Justiceforjamna”
User @KashifMD chose to directly tweet at Shireen Mazari, Pakistan’s current Federal Minister for Human Rights: “This calls for an immediate investigation ma’am @ShireenMazari1. It is your responsibility to ensure protection of dignity and human rights of all citizens of all faiths. This continues to happen under your watch. Set a precedent here.”
Meanwhile, there were women who argued that incidents like these prove why movements such as the Aurat (women) March that took place this year might be necessary.
Tweep @Tooba_Sd wrote: “Jamna Saami is her name. She was sexually assaulted and raped. Her videos have been circulating on social media in a traumatic state. Remember her name when next time they ask us why we are out on the roads to march. It’s for each one of us and for Jamna! #JusticeForJamna”
Not the first
Last month, news of a 10-year-old girl named Farishta Mohmand, being allegedly raped and murdered in Islamabad shocked the country.
Pakistanis raised similar concerns surrounding women’s and children safety in Mohmand’s case. Delays in filing a first information report (FIR) and conducting a postmortem had angered many.
