THE mob has been primed to act in self-righteous fury, and unless the state responds appropriately, the unthinkable could happen. Using a doctored video as part of a malicious disinformation campaign, hatred of the most visceral kind has been deliberately stoked against organisers of the Aurat March, which was held on March 8 — International Women’s Day — in several cities in Pakistan.
Shamefully, a number of journalists and political commentators — among them some habitual offenders — fuelled the controversy. Accusations of blasphemy are being levelled, often a chilling precursor to religiously inspired violence in this country. Sure enough, right-wing groups held angry demonstrations on Friday threatening vigilante action. Even the banned TTP purportedly issued a statement to that effect.
The Aurat March organisers have issued a strong rebuttal of the claims made in the disinformation campaign. They shared the original version of the video clip that was falsely captioned in an attempt to show the participants raising objectionable slogans, and explained that a banner being portrayed as offensive was the personal account of a child sexual abuse victim. It was also clarified that the flag seen at the march was not that of France — a lie being perpetuated to paint the event as being ‘un-Islamic’ and promoting a ‘foreign-funded agenda’ — but that of the feminist movement that is the main force behind the event.
The organisers also demanded an apology from those who, by design, have incited hatred on manufactured grounds in order to vilify the feminist movement and silence it. Needless to say, no apology has thus far been forthcoming.
In one sense, the venom being spewed against the Aurat March was expected; it has been so every year since the event became the centrepiece of International Women’s Day celebrations in Pakistan. But this time around, the campaign has been particularly vicious and for obvious reasons, potentially more deadly. Allegations of blasphemy are akin to painting a target on the backs of the individuals in the cross hairs.
What has been set in motion by reactionary elements demands an intervention from the state, which has been claiming credit for cracking down on religious extremism in recent years. Instead of being a silent spectator, the government must act immediately to denounce the threats and punish the hatemongers.
Meanwhile, the new generation of rights activists by now know well the malevolent forces arrayed against them. These elements have no qualms using any tactic, howsoever despicable, to discredit the struggle for equality, dignity and security from gender-based violence.
Looking ahead, rights activists should build upon the momentum created by their determination and courage. They would also do well to take some cues from the activism of the feisty women who preceded them — those that earned their spurs during Gen Zia’s dictatorship, and knew that resistance does not preclude engaging with the state.
Reluctance to test
THE increasing number of Covid-19 cases in Punjab tell a worrying story about the trajectory of the virus. With 36 deaths and nearly 1,000 new cases reported in just 24 hours in the province, it is clear the third wave has very much arrived. Authorities, too, have taken notice of the rise in cases and the province has banned wedding ceremonies, sports activities and public meetings in cities where the positivity rate exceeds 5pc. According to an official list of ‘high-burden districts’, Gujranwala has the highest positivity rate at 9pc, followed by Lahore and Multan at 8pc, Faisalabad and Sargodha at 6pc and Rawalpindi at 4pc. While these figures ought to be taken seriously, the reality may be far worse. Daily testing across the country is very low. In Punjab too, where the highest number of cases are being reported, the government is reluctant to increase testing. This hesitation is mind-boggling, especially given how critical widespread testing is to obtaining a true picture of the spread of the virus. What is also disturbing is that the rampant spread is said to be linked to the fast-spreading UK variant. Although the death toll is not as high as in the US or Europe where the population’s median age is high, the government must understand that even a mild case of Covid-19 can have debilitating long-term effects on health. According to a study published in The Lancet in January, even after six months Covid-19 survivors who had suffered acute infections had multiple health issues. These included fatigue, muscle weakness, sleep difficulties and anxiety or depression. “Patients who were more severely ill during their hospital stay had more severe impaired pulmonary diffusion capacities and abnormal chest imaging manifestations, and are the main target population for intervention of long-term recovery,” the study noted.
In this scenario, even if the death rate is not alarmingly high, the authorities must ramp up testing to gauge the transmission of the virus. Taking infections lightly is a huge mistake, as they can even result in increased hospitalisations and overburden healthcare staff. Data in mid-February showed only about 15,500 healthcare workers in the province had been vaccinated, which means there are doctors and hospital staffers who have not been immunised but are still treating Covid-19 patients. The government’s lethargy and casual attitude towards increased testing is inexplicable and defies what has clearly been established by epidemiologists and health experts across the world: the authorities must do better.
Depleting rainforests
THAT Earth’s ecosystems are in a race against time is well known. New data from the non-profit Rainforest Foundation Norway gives an alarming picture of the rate of their destruction as ecosystems that act as a buffer against the drastic impact of climate change rapidly disappear. Other reports too have rung the alarm, warning that rainforest cover equal to a football field is lost every six seconds; two-thirds of the world’s original rainforest cover has already been destroyed, with 34pc of old tropical forests having been cleared to make way for agricultural practices. Another 30pc have been degraded to a dangerous extent. Man feeds off nature. But the level of destruction involved in this parasitic relationship has been catastrophic: the annual rate of rainforest depletion only in 2019, matched the level of destruction over the past 20 years. In fact, the total loss of rainforest cover between 2002 and 2019 was greater than the area of France. The biggest impact has been felt in Brazil, which has witnessed a sharp uptick in the depletion of its forested land as a result of the country’s lax policies towards the environment.
Pakistan may not contain rainforests. However, it is home to a variety of other forests from the mangroves in the south to the pine forests in the north. Unfortunately, it is also among the top 10 countries that are most vulnerable to the impact of global warming and climate change — and it has one of the highest deforestation rates in the world. Despite the current government’s strong emphasis on the environment and the billion-tree tsunami project, the timber mafia’s activities that destroy delicate ecosystems have yet to be curtailed. Keeping in mind that the UN has declared 2021-2030 to be the Decade of Ecosystem Restoration, a sincere and consistent effort is required by the world at large to take steps to preserve forests so that we can be facilitated in putting in place measures to reduce the impact of climate change.
