Women’s Action Forum condemns 'reprehensible' Minar-e-Pakistan incident

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WAF issues statement to condemn Minar-e-Pakistan incident.
WAF issues statement to condemn Minar-e-Pakistan incident. 

  • WAF says that the incident reminds one that women remain unsafe in Pakistan.
  • Forum blames incidents of harassment on a "misogynist" society.
  • Urges internet users and media to be empathetic while handling such issues.


The Women’s Action Forum (WAF) has strongly condemned the attack on a woman at Minar-e-Pakistan, terming it "reprehensible".

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the WAF said that the assault on a woman with many other women at the Iqbal Park on Independence Day has shaken them to the core.

“WAF is appalled and deeply disturbed by the deplorable incident at Greater Iqbal Park, (Minar-e-Pakistan) on 14th August 2021 where a woman along with a group of females, was violently assaulted and harassed for several hours by approximately 400 men at Minar-e-Pakistan in Lahore,” read the statement.

The forum asserted that the incident reminds one of the awful fact that women remain unsafe in Pakistan, especially at the public places in the country which are "becoming the breeding grounds for harassment violence, and abuse" against women.

“We are horrified by the inhumane behaviour the men at Minar-e-Pakistan displayed and that too on Independence Day, which reflects the free reign men in this country possess to behave violently without facing any form of accountability,” said the statement.

The WAF pointed out that the incident has given an impression that women cannot enjoy national holidays, nor can they be present at any public place.

“Instead, they [public places] are hostile environments that constantly put women at risk,” noted the statement.

The WAF has also highlighted that women constitute half of the country’s population but still they are denied their rights and are at risk of being targeted or harassed.

Moreover, it stated that the increasing incidents of violence against women and public place harassment reinforce the stereotype that women are the safest at homes "while the outside world becomes an evil place that is inaccessible to them".

The forum has blamed the tyranny on a "misogynist" society and questioned why the Punjab government and authorities are unable to make efforts for ensuring safety for women in public spaces.

It also criticised the media for continuing to circulate videos of the incident.

“Recirculating such videos under the false narrative of spreading awareness is extremely unethical and fails to consider the effects this will have on the survivor in the long-term,” read the statement.

The WAF urged the internet users and media to be empathetic while handling such issues to prevent the victim from suffering as the clips may continue to haunt them long after the incident.

“Forwarding such clips irresponsibly is forwarding violence online and must be discouraged,” said the statement.

Furthermore, the forum has also drawn the attention of Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar, Punjab Inspector General of Police Inam Ghani, and Punjab Deputy Commissioner Mudassir Riaz Malik, calling them out for their "blatant neglect" towards women's safety in public spaces and failing to have adequate measures in place so such dreadful instances can be avoided. 

Lahore woman assaulted on August 14

In yet another terrifying episode of violence against women amid a rise in such incidences, a woman in Lahore's Greater Iqbal Park was assaulted by hundreds of men on August 14.

The victim, along with her friends, was making a TikTok video in the park when hordes of men of all ages climbed a fence and attacked the woman.

The victim told the police that the men groped her, tore off her clothes, beat her, and tossed her in the air. In addition, they robbed her of Rs15,000, snatched her mobile phone and took off her gold ring and studs.

Out of hundreds of men, many of who just stood there and even made a video, only one person came to the woman's rescue and helped her get out of the park.

A case has been filed against 400 people but arrests are yet to be made.