Shireen Mazari disputes claim there were no rapes during Zia dictatorship

ISLAMABAD: Federal Human Rights Minister Shireen Mazari has disputed viral social media posts which claimed that there were no rapes during the military regime of Zia ul Haq.

Taking to Twitter on Saturday, Shireen Mazari wrote: “For those claiming there were no rapes during brutal Zia dictatorship they are factually wrong. Zia introduced Hudood Ordinances requiring identification of rapists & 4 witnesses to prove rape. So many rape cases converted into adultery cases & women victims punished.”

Ms Mazari cited the Saif Bibi case as a reference.

“Remember Safia Bibi case – a blind teenager who was raped. Under the Zia laws she had to identify the people who raped her. Being blind she obviously could not. So she was convicted of fornication & sentenced to be lashed. That was the brutal Zia era for women,” she continued.

The PTI leader also denounced the Zia’s introduction of regular public lashings in stadiums, saying the practice became cruel entertainment.

“Never stopped crimes being committed but violence pervaded our mindsets. The Protection of Women (Criminal Laws Amendment) Act 2006 amended Hudood Ordinance. Now PPC covers rape,” she added.

Justice Project Pakistan chief Sarah Belal also disputed a similar post which claimed that there was no case of rape for 10 years after Zia ordered the hanging of a convict at Minar e Pakistan.

“Nope. There were many reported child rapes in a few in Lahore that very year. We did the research and went through the newspaper archives. Now can we please talk about solutions that ACTUALLY work?,” she said.

Nope. There were many reported child rapes in a few in Lahore that very year. We did the research and went through the newspaper archives. Now can we please talk about solutions that ACTUALLY work? https://t.co/zP9SFAuNwQ

— Sarah Belal (@SarahBelal_) September 11, 2020