Freedom of expression in Pakistan: An Impercation

The state can’t give you free speech, and the state can’t take it away. You’re born with it, like your eyes, like your ears. Freedom is something you assume, then you wait for someone to try to take it away. The degree to which you resist is the degree to which you are free.

Freedom of expression is globally recognized to be one’s privilege to speak on their beliefs. This is supposed to be every human’s basic right. Yet, it has proven to be a curse in Pakistan. Why? Freedom of expression not only serves the deliverance of one’s beliefs but also comes with an open mind for it to be accepted by a vast society. Pakistan is a diverse nation with people sharing different beliefs, opinions, religious background, yet we are so hesitant in accepting views that are different from ours.
Our government faces issues when it comes to a misunderstood topic like Freedom of speech because it involves protection of law & order, peace and security within the country. It becomes necessary to avoid major conflicts that would arise due to diverse beliefs. Over the years, this topic has brought in a lot of discomfort, chaos to the society because this convenience is not only used for expressing opinions but also criticizing one’s opinion and bringing in a lot of hate speech without facts.

In a country like Pakistan where millions remain uneducated and uncivilized, freedom of expression creates terror in the hearts of those who have not flown out of the cage yet. The idea of acceptance is considered to be harmful, the idea of living among people who have different views seems to be a threat. Even years of hard work cannot change this idea and the repercussions of this expression can be as massive as possible.

On 14th April, a local poet lowered the bruised and mistreated body of his 21 year old son and bid him a farewell. What was his fault? An expression that led to grave misunderstandings.

Mashal Khan, a young boy of mass media was mercilessly beaten to death by an angry mob because his opinion was taken as Blasphemy. Who ever knew that such a simple expression could turn into a lifelong regret? Mashal criticized Abdul Wali Khan university because student were forced to study in uncertain conditions and the teachers would not cooperate at all. He stated “everyone in the authority is a thief here” but none of his comments mentioned religious content or blasphemy. After being tortured for hours, Mashal was shot from a close range and again his dead body was tortured.

The form of violence that takes place in the name of Blasphemy is shamelessly a high number. A country which is divided by religion where religion is used as a reason to create brutality and not peace, how can the government possibly save us from the merciless mentality of Mashal’s killers? Freedom of speech is a concept in Pakistan that vaguely exists with no actual background. It is a misused term which is shaped according to one’s needs and convenience. How your harmless opinions can take a form of sadism and ferocity to mend and break a situation. In Pakistan, where thousands of other issues remain untouched and unconsidered, a theme like freedom of expression goes unrecognized. It is not even understood by many that why do we need to express ourselves in the first place.
Where basic needs like food and shelter sits in a question, how do we expect our country to act on an opinionated youth? Who is to be blamed? Our educational backgrounds have lacked diversity since ages. Students read the same books that their forefathers did. Can education possibly eradicate this? If yes, then how many more decades do we need?

Are animal rights even an issue?

As humans we have our own troubles and Pakistan can be a summoning place to live in, animals go through the same, and often worse, struggles than we do. They do not have the capability to speak up for themselves, and so their circumstances are often not considered.

PML-N uses a lion in their rally 

“Animals cant speak for themselves and when they do they are often ignored.”

Pakistan is not an animal-oriented country which is why rescuing animals and providing them with appropriate shelters is difficult.

Protests against Animal Abuse

“Why waste time on animal rights when humans don’t get their rights here?”

This is the usual reply to the idea of animal welfare or animal rights in Pakistan. Meanwhile, animal lovers and activists aspire to refine the mindset that makes both these issues mutually exclusive.

Stray dogs killed in Karachi overnight 

The plight of ‘working animals‘ in Pakistan, much like all developing countries, relies on animals for laborious tasks. Equine animals, which include horses, donkeys and mules, face the impact of animal abuse in most of the cases. 

Bringing about a behavioural change, amongst the people of Pakistan, is vital and PAWS is in the process of designing a ‘humane school kit’ to counsel students about the significance of compassion towards animals. 

 

Lastly, I’d like to say that we as humans have no right to decide whose life is more important. We are not as important or indispensable as we think we are, and it is time to let go of our ego and show a bit of empathy.

 

 

Ill treatment of Brick-kiln workers

Brick kiln workers are consistently subjected to cruel,Inhuman and very degrading treatment. In Pakistan physical abuse is a common punishment for failure to cope up with the production of enough bricks. disobedience towards the “jamadars” or gathering other workers in a attempt to go against the jamadar results in severe abuse including being whipped  beaten with sticks and much more. The physical abuse is so much to the extend that the brick kiln workers consider the abuse as part of daily routine.

As I was going through a news paper the other day a story captured my eyes which stated that a man named Salman who was a Punjabi in his early thirties did not get along with the Jamadar at a brick kiln near kasur.  Salman had a number of scars from the ill treatment. he was occasionally beaten unconscious and then locked in a small 6 by 6 feet room with no food for days. and on the third day he was hung upside down by a rope and was beaten  with a long stick.

  We can seek loans from the owners but we cannot pay back because of our meagre earnings and the high interest rates imposed on us. – Reshman, bonded labourer

 

 

    

women brick kiln workers face particular abuse. they are even forced to work in their pregnancy and even two to three days after giving birth. There is a  consistent pattern of sexual abuse at the brick kiln including rape. once giving a interview to the human Rights watch a women told the women are forced to have regular sexual relationships with their employer or member of their family. Even police officials are involved in the rape.

 

brick kiln workers do appeal to the court and to the political parties demanding their rights but as such no progress is seen since many years. some times the bill is passed in the parliament but after words no such action against the jamadar is taken. Their have been cases in which the police did not file the FIR on behalf of the kiln workers just because they were too involved with the brick kiln jamadar.

This was the appeal by the brick kiln workers to the political parties in 2014. but no action was taken

 

“Freedom of Right to LIVE”

 Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah laid the foundations of an independent, free nation on 14th August 1947 with a vision that Freedom and Equality in terms of each and every aspect will be granted to every living breathing creature in this country.

“We follow the teachings of the Prophet Mohammed (may peace be upon him). We are members of the brotherhood of Islam in which all are equal in rights, dignity and self-respect.”

Nearly 70 years later, Pakistan as a nation has failed Jinnah’s vision to provide it’s people basic yet the  fundamental RIGHT TO LIVE. According to statistics provided by the UN, the sex ratio currently is  1.05 male(s)/female. Despite the disparity in the numbers, thousands of these girls born are buried alive everyday!

“Jab jeenay ka haq sabko hai, toh humein kyun nahi?

Kya khuli hawa mein saans lena jurm hai? Ke zara se pankh philanay par har dam saza hai..”

Despite calling itself, Islamic Republic of Pakistan and majority of Pakistan’s population being Muslims yet, they’re unable to understand and comprehend the teachings of their religion.

Our religion says,

“The best of mankind is the one whose first offspring is a daughter” (and that he looks after her properly). 

So why is that so many of us girls and women have to fight every day just to merely breathe, to live. Why is there such a question mark constantly hanging on our existence?Why is it that those who give us birth are the one’s who kill us? Why is it that an innocent child is buried alive and is hated without even committing an offence? I mean, what offence could a few minutes/hours/days old newborn even commit?

Oh right, the offence of being born a GIRL-THE LESSER SEX the Burden on Mankind! So, who’s fault is it that this crime was even committed in the first place? any guesses?Well, obviously Women themselves, duh. They are the one’s who were unable to give birth to a boy in the first place. Sorry to break it to you, little to these sexist bigots know that both Parents sperms make the child However, it is the Male sperm determines the sex of the child.

Allah Almighty says, “To Allah belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth. He creates what He wills. He bestows children, female or male, according to his will”.

It absolutely breaks my heart that even in 2018 when modernization and westernization has taken over us, we are still being demonized and buried alive to death.When will this genocide stop?

These crimes are committed on a daily basis on the pettiest of excuses. Chand Khan father of a newborn girl in Khanewal, eastern Punjab province, said that he had been
shocked to see a girl and  that she had ‘abnormal features’.Despite the doctors declaring the newborn to be perfectly healthy, she was buried alive.

Another infanticide occurred in Toba Tek Singh, where Farmer  Khalid, of Kassi Gwansan Wali village of Pirmahal  buried his newly-born daughter alive.

When they are holding a beautiful life in their hands and walking towards the graveyard to bury their daughters alive, how do they not think about our beloved Prophet (PBUH) and his immense love for his four daughters? Do they not think about his indisputable Love for Hazrat Fatimah (RA) and the unique bond of affection they shared?

The Prophet (PBUH) had a special place in his heart for Fatimah (RA). Fatimah, of whom Aisha (RA) commented, “[…] When the Prophet saw her approaching, he would welcome her, stand up and kiss her, take her by the hand and sit her down in the place where he was sitting.”

How do the hands of these men and women not tremble when burying their own daughters?

Just because i’m highlighting only  two of a zillion of these incidents DO NOT be mistaken that they don’t happen on a larger scale. They are happening every second of the day by the people around us the only difference is that we are either oblivious to it, desensitized to it and are cowards to not take an action against it.

 

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NO, This is not a joke, this isn’t another meaningless article or another wannabe ‘feminist’ going on a rant. It’ is  a desperate CRY  for Help it’s a PLEA to save lives! All lives matter, everyone deserves to live

so do what needs to be done to stop this genocide.