Justice done

When Noor Mukadam was murdered last year, we had asked whether there will ever be a time here when a woman is not to be blamed for having been attacked or raped or killed. Despite the shockwaves her brutal murder sent across the country, the horrors didn’t stop after Noor – and we have seen many more hashtags asking for justice for women killed, raped or abused. In a country where the idea of justice when it targets the elite is received with so much scepticism, it is a rare moment of relief to see a case reach an end that sees someone with influence and clout not get away with literal murder.

The District and Sessions Court in Islamabad has delivered its verdict in the terrible Noor Mukadam case. Noor was stabbed and tortured before she passed away. Zahir was found with blood-stained clothes. There was CCTV footage that showed her going into his house; and her being dragged inside when she tried to escape. There was a confession, later retracted. In short, there was enough evidence against the accused. Zahir has been handed the death penalty. His parents and the counselling service Therapy Works’ team that had reached the scene of crime as well have not been punished, but two members of the Jaffers’ domestic staff who had refused to allow Noor to escape or to assist her as she faced the nightmarish brutality Zahir meted out have been sentenced to 10 years each by the court. Of course, there will be a further appeal in the higher courts.

The Noor case led to a polarising debate regarding violence against women. Every time a woman is raped or murdered or harassed or brutalised in any fashion, the constant refrain over social media in the face of justifiable outrage is that if women adhered to some pre-decided code of conduct, they would stay safe. Noor was an adult woman, who had every right to go to someone’s house and not be worried about killed while there. There can be absolutely no possible excuse for Zahir Jaffer’s crime.

There can and should though be a conversation about whether we need severity of punishment or consistency of punishment – an issue that crops up every now and then after a horrific crime. Merely handing out the death penalty has evidently not been the deterrent many think it is. We have seen over the years much bravado by the state and successive governments regarding ‘punishing’ crime. Unfortunately, that bravado mostly withers away after a high-profile case comes to an end. Already, this verdict comes days after Qandeel Baloch’s brother was acquited for her murder; and also days after the religious affairs minister as well as the JUI-F have spoken out against the coming Aurat March. Which is why we hope that Justice for Noor can be translated into Justice for the Pakistani Woman. Violence against women has reached epidemic proportions in this country. And while transforming the regressive mindset at the top which belittles crimes against women by attributing it to their clothes or ‘character’ may not happen overnight, we can start by not only ensuring justice in each such case but also looking at reforms in the police and justice system as well as focusing on how mindsets can be changed so that our society is a safer space for women. It must be reiterated that what the women of Pakistan need is consistency in justice rather than mere optics of justice. For now, though, we hope Noor’s family, her friends, and the women of Pakistan find some peace in the knowledge that she has found some justice.