Miss Uzma Ayub, the 16 year old girl who was repeatedly raped by more than a dozen persons in the captivity of a soldier and police officials for almost one year, has shown her courage and strength. Made pregnant as a result of the continual rape she endured she has decided to have the child. Stating that she recognises the right to life and will not kill an unborn child she went on to say, “The child is innocent and what sin he/she did so why should I kill her. No matter what the people will say but I respect the life”.
Her family, from a very poor and illiterate back ground, is facing much pressure and threats from their relatives and fundamentalists Muslim religious groups are forcing them to abort the child as it is not legitimate and therefore un-Islamic. The perpetrators, an army soldier and three police officials including SHO, a Sub Inspector and an Assistant Sub Inspector of Takhte Nusrati police station, Khyber Pukhtun Kha (KPK) province, have taken support from the Taliban militants and are forcing her family to kill the child in a bid to eliminate the evidence of repeated rape. The lawyers were also threatened, illegally detained and tortured.
Please read the urgent appeal and statement about the case of her rape in captivity of a soldier and police officials and the threats from the Taliban: Urgent Appeal Case: AHRC-UAC-226-2011 and AHRC-STM-162-2011
Her elder brother is supporting her and has become a strong shield for her in the birth of child. The Taliban representatives have threatened that if case is pursued and child is not aborted they will kidnap and kill her two young brothers. The other two young brothers have left their school and are in hiding. In that peculiar situation the fight for the birth of child is heroic and must be appreciated by the civil society of Pakistan.
The Asian Human Rights Commission salutes her and her parents for the respect of life and for standing firm with their decision to go for the birth of the child which is against the local traditions of a conservative society that shelters behind Islam and Shariah. Their firm stand should be encouraged by the civil society of Pakistan in the fight against the violence against women, impunity to the perpetrators, misuse of power and making girls and women as the sexual commodity by the powerful elements of the society.
The AHRC appeals to the civil society of the Pakistan to come forward for the support of Uzma and her family in her struggle to save the birth of her child and make the joint efforts for her treatment in a better hospital and raise the fund for her medical treatment. She is at this moment is in a fragile position because she is without any security and protection from the government which is failing in its duty by not arresting the perpetrators and not following the outcome of a high level committee headed by home secretary which has recommended the government to arrest the perpetrators and suspend them from their posts. The government’s inaction, which comes as no surprise, encourages the perpetrators to use violent methods against the victim and her family to eliminate the evidence and show their power.
The AHRC will support such initiatives of the civil society of Pakistan for her better medical treatment and safe delivery of the child. The birth of Uzma’s child is a challenge for civil society who is struggling for justice and the respect of the human rights of the every member of the society, including the right to live. The child would be the pride of the civil society in a conservative and fundamentalist milieu that normally would never accept such a child. Any action in support of the victim and her child be a great challenge against the conservative thoughts which have made the Pakistani society a dogmatic and theocratic country and only nourishes intolerance and silences freedom of thought.
