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he tragic murder of 20-year-old Fatima Sarfraz in Faisalabad highlights how unchecked harassment and societal silence are fuelling a deadly rise in gender-based violence.
“She had been disturbed for several days. That morning, before she left to give tuition, I reassured her, telling her I would personally pick her up so that the harasser would not bother her on the way back. But I was late. I do not think I’ll ever forgive myself.”
Sarfraz Ahmad, a street vendor from the modest neighbourhood of Partab Nagar, Faisalabad, was recounting his daughter’s murder.
Sarfraz supports his family by setting up stall in temporary markets across the city. His 20-year-old daughter, Fatima Sarfraz, was a bright student pursuing a bachelor of business administration degree on scholarship at Samanabad Post-graduate College, Faisalabad. Aiming to join the civil service through CSS after graduation, Fatima was a determined young woman who also supported her family financially by tutouring children in a nearby street.
On June 28, Fatima was gunned down in broad daylight by a neighbour, Ahmad, while returning home from her tuition class. Her father said that the accused had been harassing his daughter for some time. Despite repeated warnings and complaints made to the suspect’s family, the harassment had only escalated.
“Had his parents accepted responsibility for their son’s actions, or had neighbours intervened when he harassed girls in the street, perhaps my daughter would be still alive,” he said, his voice breaking. “But no one stopped him and, now, he has taken my daughter’s life.”
According to the FIR lodged at the Factory Area police station, the suspect confronted Fatima in the street and catcalled her. When she rebuked him, he pulled out a pistol and fired multiple shots. Two bullets struck her, one in the neck and the other in her right arm. She died instantly.
Sub-Inspector Ahmad Ammar, the investigation officer, told The News on Sunday that the suspect was apprehended within hours of the incident. The murder weapon has been recovered and bullet casings from the crime scene have been sent for forensic analysis. “We are finalising the challan and will soon submit it to the court,” he said.
Describing the accused, the officer said, “He’s a 20-22 year old with no job or education. He used to spend most of his time loitering around the neighbourhood. His brothers work in garment shops. His father drives a rickshaw.”
The officer emphasised that community policing is crucial to prevent such crimes. “Early intervention and timely reporting by the community can save lives. These tragedies are preventable if we act together.”
Fatima’s murder is a chilling reminder of how unchecked harassment can escalate into fatal violence and how silence over harassment can cost lives.
In a similar incident in mid-June in Islamabad a 22-year-old, Umar Hayat, had allegedly shot and killed 17-year-old social media influencer Sana Yousaf after she rejected his advances.
While Fatima Sarfraz’s murder did not receive the same level of national media coverage as Sana Yousaf’s case, the two killings share a disturbing similarity. Both the young women - ambitious, goal-driven and striving for a better future - were murdered simply because they refused to reciprocate the attention of men with unstable lifestyles.
Clinical psychologist Jawahra Ehsan says that many men in the Pakistani society are not trained in dealing with rejection. “When men with narcissistic personality traits experience rejection, it bruises their ego and ‘masculinity’ in a way that they may resort to extreme actions, even murder,” she says.
She says many perpetrators of such crimes display signs of antisocial or psychopathic personality disorders. “Untreated, these individuals become increasingly impulsive over time. Some of them witness similar behaviour at home and consider it as socially acceptable. In many cases, there is also a background of childhood abuse or trauma, coupled with poor parenting.”
She says the toxic role of platforms like TikTok, which glamourised gun culture and aggression. “In the Sana Yousuf case, the accused did not accept her rejection. He viewed it as a threat to his sense of control.”
Gender-based violence is rising at an alarming rate in Pakistan. According to data from the National Police Bureau, at least 405 women were victims of the so-called honour crimes in 2024. In the same year, 1,641 women were killed in domestic violence and 3,385 cases of physical assault were reported.
Sexual violence also saw an uptick. Police statistics for 2024 reveal that 4,175 cases of rape, 733 incidents of gang rape, 24 of custodial sexual assault and 117 cases of relationship-based sexual violence were registered.
These numbers reflect an entrenched culture of violence and impunity that continues to cost women their lives for asserting autonomy over their choices.
According to a 2018 survey conducted by the Thomson Reuters Foundation, Pakistan was ranked the sixth most dangerous country in the world for women. The survey, which included responses from 500 experts across 193 UN member states, highlighted the severe threats Pakistani women face not only from economic deprivation and systemic discrimination but also from so-called honour killings, domestic and sexual violence and oppressive cultural and religious practices.
A report by the United Nations Population Fund revealed that 28 percent of Pakistani women aged 15 to 49 have experienced physical violence and 6 percent have been subjected to sexual violence. These staggering statistics reflect a deeply ingrained culture of gender-based violence in the country.
n the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report 2024, Pakistan’s position further declined falling from 142nd to 145th out of 146 countries making it one of the lowest-ranked nations in terms of gender equality.
The Senate Committee on Human Rights recently expressed grave concern over the alarming rise in gender-based violence, calling for immediate institutional accountability, a stronger legal framework and enhanced emergency response mechanisms. The committee also emphasised the urgent need for public awareness campaigns and school-based education to combat growing incidents of harassment and violence against women and children.
Speaking to TNS, human rights activist and lawyer Maria Rustam noted that as more women strive for professional success, patriarchal backlash from men unable to cope with their own stagnation is becoming increasingly aggressive.
“Girls are clinching top positions at school, college and university levels. Yet their representation in the professional world remains dismally low,” she said.
“If we want a future where girls are not murdered for simply saying no, the change must begin at every layer of society from our homes and classrooms to mosques, media, communities and courtrooms.”
Maria emphasised the need to go beyond conventional curricula by integrating topics such as consent, emotional intelligence and gender equality into the education system. “Religious leaders must promote a culture of dialogue and empathy, not control. The laws against gender-based violence must be enforced with zero tolerance. Girls are not lesser beings. They have the right to say no and no one should ever lose their life for exercising that right.”
Fatima’s story is not an isolated incident. It is part of a disturbing pattern of violence targeting women who dare to assert their autonomy in a society that still struggles to accept their agency. As the country grapples with rising femicide and a widening gender gap, urgent action is needed not just in the form of stricter laws, but through cultural reform, community accountability and inclusive education that teaches consent and respect from a young age. Unless the society collectively rejects the notion that a woman’s rejection justifies violence, countless others may suffer the same fate as Fatima.
The writer has been associated with journalism for the past decade. He tweetsnaeemahmad876.