Victim-blaming mindset and social stigma attached with reporting incidents such as the Minar-e-Pakistan incident where a woman was allegedly assaulted by hundreds of men on Independence Day, often weaken the authenticity and progress of other cases where women are sexually assaulted in a brutal manner, opine human rights activists in Pakistan. It hampers the legal judiciary process, they said.  In August, a horrifying video from Pakistan had emerged online in which hordes of men were seen groping, mauling and tearing off the clothes of a woman named Ayesha Akram, who is famed for her videos on TikTok. Later, during an investigation into the incident, an audio recording between the woman and the suspect Amir Sohail (Rambo) has surfaced in which the police said it discovered some “mysterious elements,” Pakistan Today reported. Citing details of the conversation, the Pakistani publication reported that they (Ayesha and Rambo) both were planning to take money from suspects who had been arrested in the case. The call revealed that they discussed with each other the number of total suspects and the amount that should be taken from them considering that they belong to an impoverished background. Rambo has confessed that Ayesha wanted to take Rs 500,000 from each arrested suspect, Pakistan Today reported. As soon as the news emerged in various media outlets, the victim received a public outrage with protests and demands to punish the culprits. Pakistan Today newspaper also reported that right activists have inferred that such kind of incidents usually weaken the authenticity and progress of other cases where women are sexually assaulted in a brutal manner. “Such negative incidents only add insult to the injury as police, taking the matter lightly; do not investigate the matter with just intentions. Instead, they hold the victim accountable and responsible for the crime let alone bring justice to them,” they said. “Victim blaming and shaming do not only cause trauma to be retriggered or made more acute, they also prevent other victims from speaking up,” said Jasmyn Rana, a psychologist and psychotherapist based in Lahore. “The rape survivors’ families are no different from the rest of society; they discourage victims from registering or pursuing cases, in an attempt to sweep everything under the carpet. Society looks at the sufferer as if (getting raped) was her own fault”, said Mukhtara Mai about the cultural attitude regarding rape who is a survivor of gang-rape and now a women’s rights activist. Experts suggest that the cases linked with women are sensitive and it takes only one incident in a case to destroy the progress of other cases, Pakistan Today also reported adding that “when an incident is found to be misquoted or misreported, the police and other authorities seem to lose their faith in rest of the victims and take their statements casually.” Observers said that in Pakistan, the police are not well-equipped with the technical and advanced knowledge based on a rational approach and easily believe in whatever they hear from mainstream public. There is a lack of sensitisation to gender-based violence issues among the police and they show a disregard to women’s issues in general. The process of investigation is also quite unprofessional, inauthentic and unguided that eventually produces distorted results, Pakistan Today reported. On the other hand, the conviction rate is depressingly low while the suspects of the crimes usually get acquittal after having remand of one or two months, the publication added. According to a report by advocacy group Sustainable Social Development Organisation (SSDO), 6,754 women were kidnapped and 1,890 raped in the first six months of 2021 in the Punjab province alone but the reporting rate remained low. Source: ANI BM

Amber Rudd has quit Boris Johnson's Cabinet, with an outspoken attack on the way the government is managing the Brexit process. The ex-work and pensions secretary said the government was having no "formal negotiations" with the EU about a new Brexit deal, only "conversations". Instead, 80-90% of its time was spent preparing for an "inferior" no-deal option, she said. Chancellor Sajid Javid said he was "saddened" by the resignation. He told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show the government had been putting a "tremendous amount of effort" into getting a new deal with the EU. He added that preparations for a no-deal scenario would "concentrate minds" in Europe regarding working towards a new agreement. Downing Street has announced that Environment Minister Therese Coffey will replace Ms Rudd as work and pensions secretary. Why did she leave? In her resignation letter to PM Boris Johnson, Ms Rudd said: "I joined your cabinet in good faith: accepting that 'No Deal' had to be on the table, because it was the means by which we would have the best chance of achieving a new deal to leave on 31 October. "However I no longer believe leaving with a deal is the government's main objective." She also criticised the PM's decision to expel 21 MPs from the parliamentary Conservative party after they rebelled against him last week over a bill designed to avoid a no-deal Brexit, calling it an "act of political vandalism". Having given up the Tory whip, the MP for Hastings and Rye, who supported Remain in the 2016 referendum, will remain an MP but will no longer sit as part of the Conservative party in Parliament. "I will be considering my position - whether I will stand as an independent Conservative should there be an election coming up," she told the Sunday Times What has the reaction been to her resignation? Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the Conservative Party had "always been a broad church" and he was "gutted" to see Ms Rudd leave. Former Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said Ms Rudd's departure was "desperately sad news", describing her as "one of the most principled and capable ministers I've worked with". Shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer tweeted that her departure showed Mr Johnson's government was "falling apart". Labour Party chair Ian Lavery said the resignation was a sign that "no one trusts" Mr Johnson. "The prime minister has run out of authority in record time and his Brexit plan has been exposed as a sham," he said. SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford called on the prime minister to resign, arguing he had "no support or credibility left". "Boris Johnson's Tory government is on the verge of collapse - with no majority, no mandate and no right to pursue its reckless plans to impose an extreme Brexit," he said. Source: BBC AH

Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader said, Oikyafront has engaged in vicious move to blame the government and Awami League for their infighting according to their blue print. People have understood their conspiracies. People of the country will give vivid response by casting their votes for boat on December 30. He made this comment after offering flowers to the liberation war memorial monument in Feni on Sunday. Obaidul Quader said, after sensing their defeat keeping ahead the election those who shook hands with evil forces, are doing provocative activities after not getting response from the people. In this case the government or Awami League has nothing to do. Over the incident of bullet injury of BNP candidate Barrister Mahbub Uddin Khokon for Noakhali-1 constituency, he said, BNP vandalized Awami League office and shops there. To control the situation police fired buckshot, he might be injured following that. He took primary medical care from hospital. Mentioning that centering the election two Awami League workers were killed in Noakhali and Faridpur, Obaidul Quader said, till now no BNP worker was killed. Earlier in the morning Obaidul Quader offered tributes to the brave martyrs by placing flowers at the Rajajhi Dighi Par memorial monument in Feni on the victory day. Member of Parliament from Feni-2 constituency and district Awami League general secretary Nizam Uddin Hazari, Member of Parliament from reserved seat Jahanara Begum Surma, Feni district Awami League president Abdur Rahman and Feni municipal Mayor Hazi Alauddin among others were present at that time. AH