A protest demonstration was held today outside the Karachi Press Club by the youth organization Alternate against the brutal killing of women in the name of ‘honour,’ the inhuman practice of Karo Kari, sexual harassment, physical abuse, humiliation, and all forms of misogynistic violence. The protest was led by Comrade Ahsan Iqbal Advocate and Comrade Rabel Abro.
Addressing the participants, speakers said that incidents of violence and killings of women are rapidly increasing across the country, particularly in Sindh. They stated that feudal and tribal patriarchal customs have engulfed society, where girls and women are being murdered in the name of honour, while many others face sexual and physical violence.
The speakers also condemned the forced conversion of Hindu girls and their forced marriages, calling it a grave violation of human rights.
They further stated that the most alarming aspect of the situation is the patronage extended to such crimes by law-enforcement agencies and lawmakers, including feudal lords, pirs, and waderas sitting in assemblies. They also strongly criticized women legislators for remaining silent spectators in the face of such inhumane atrocities against women.
The speakers said that Sindh is being deprived of its humanist cultural and civilizational heritage due to the deep-rooted feudal and tribal system that dominates every sphere of society. This anti-women mindset prevails from rural farmlands to urban factories, offices, and educational institutions.
They emphasized that complete liberation from this situation is only possible through the abolition of the feudal and tribal order. For this purpose, peasants, workers, youth, women, and all oppressed people must unite and build an alternative political force. They appealed to the youth to organize themselves on the platform of Alternate and launch a decisive struggle against religious extremism, misogyny, and reactionary traditions. Among those who addressed the gathering were Comrade Zehra Khan, Aqsa Kanwal, Aqib Hussain, Iqbal Abro, Bilawal Shah, Nooruddin Advocate, Mehr-un-Nisa, Shehzad Mughal, Aini, and others.
The leaders demanded of the authorities to abolish all discriminatory laws against women and repeal all laws that protect this oppressive system; end the anti-women feudal and tribal system; award exemplary punishment to those involved in Karo Kari and honour killings, and provide justice to the affected families; ensure protection for the daughters of Sindh and guarantee their participation in every sphere of life; immediately stop the forced conversion and forced marriages of Hindu girls, and punish the responsible criminals; impose the strictest punishments on those involved in harassment, humiliation, sexual abuse, and physical violence against women, girls, and transgender persons; and ensure women’s autonomy and equal participation as human beings and citizens in all walks of life, and launch awareness campaigns in this regard.