On Independence Day, Aisha Akram was attacked and bullied for hours while shooting a video near the national monument. The images, which have gone viral on social media, have caused shame. For activist Mariyam Kashif, this is the “level of humanity and respect for women in our society.”
Lahore (AsiaNews) – Pakistan is once again dealing publicly with the issue of violence against women after a video went viral on social media showing a local woman influencer attacked by a mob of hundreds of men on Pakistan’s Independence Day.
Aisha Akram, a very popular TikToker, and friends went to the Minar-i-Pakistan national monument to shoot a video on the country’s birthday.
Some men approached her to take selfies, when suddenly they started groping her. Soon a crowd of nearly 400 people gathered and began harassing her, tearing her clothes off.
A security guard at Minar-i-Pakistan opened the central gate of the monument to offer her shelter, but the crowd managed to get in and so went on bullying her for hours.
“From 5 to 9 pm, I became a toy for them,” Akram said. “I was molested, tossed into the air; they tore off my clothes.”
“I was not dressed inappropriately;” she explained. “I have never made any vulgar videos and yet now I cannot feel safe in any city in Pakistan.”
The video of the attack has caused shame and sparked criticism across the country.
Prime Minister Imran Khan himself spoke on the matter yesterday, while the Lahore police opened an investigation into the incident appealing to citizens to help identify the perpetrators of the violence.
For activist Mariyam Kashif, the affair has deeply shaken all the women of Pakistan.
“The scariest thing is that Aisha didn't find any man who came to her defence, who said that this is all wrong. This makes me very sad about the level of humanity and respect for women in our society.”
The incident has been condemned by many with calls for strict actions against the culprits. A protest is planned for tomorrow in Lahore to demand a peaceful society that respects women.