To welcome the new year, Bahria Town arranged fireworks in Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad. This grand celebration was attended by a huge number of people from in and out of Bahria Town.
Twitter user, Saniya, was also one of the spectators at the grand show. However, she could not enjoy the arrangement
Some men were more focused on the women present at the event, rather than the fireworks. She took to Twitter to talk about her experience. According to her, she has never been surrounded by such “perverted and shallow people.”
Despite the fact that she had her male cousins circled around her, that still was not enough for them to stop.
I attended Bahria Town’s new year eve last night and I must say I’ve never been around such perverted and shallow people ever. I was with my 4 cousin brothers and they circled around 3 of us girls but cheap Lahori guys didn’t leave any chance to harass us.
— Saniya (@Saniyazing) January 1, 2018
Things got worse when they were trying to leave the area.
The guys ultimately started pushing them and that separated the group. They took advantage of the situation and Saniya was left crying.
Condition got worse when we were leaving and all of us got separated because guys started to push everyone for reason at all, guys tried their best to take advantage of the situation and the situation left me crying.
— Saniya (@Saniyazing) January 1, 2018
Despite the fact that she was in tears, the harassers did not stop.
My car was parked 6 km away and I had to walk all the way to the car and I was crying but the heartless people didn’t care at all, they kept doing what they liked. I wouldn’t even call them human, they were animals.
— Saniya (@Saniyazing) January 1, 2018
Even though there weren’t any cellular signals, she thankfully managed to find her way back to her family.
There was no network but thanks to Allah I was reunited to my family after a long walk of torture and cheap looks of Lahori guys.
— Saniya (@Saniyazing) January 1, 2018
She was not the only one there who was being harassed.
As she walked past the crowd, she saw several other women in tears as well and that broke her heart.
The saddest part is that I wasn’t the only girl who was harassed, there were number of girls crying as I was walking. Guys were hooting and it was more hurtful than anything else I’ve witnessed in my life.
— Saniya (@Saniyazing) January 1, 2018
It should not take more than a second for any sane person to realize how rampant harassment is in our society. Moreover, the solution to it does not lie in asking women to stay at home or saying that men will be men.
However, not everyone quite understands that very concept. That was made evident on Twitter.
your Instagram new year picture and video looking quite awesome , you are not crying in their , so please stop this drama for some rt's and like , itna kuch hoa aur instagram par sab laga hoa ha , bullshit -_-
— Qaree (@Bunny420420) January 1, 2018
People took a page out of the old victim-blaming book…
Who told you to go there
New year eve could be enjoyed at home— آصف (@m_a_arain) January 1, 2018
Right ghar mein get together kr leti bar-b-Q, do char shurliyan apni roof pe chala leti… nikal jati hain bahir phir kehti hain muje kyun chera..jab maloom hai k bahir kya hona
— farrah tariq (@farrahtariq) January 1, 2018
…and went all in on Saniya.
For cheap publicity you people spoil our nation image. Kis ney kaha tha jany ko agar apnii hifazat nhea kar saktii.. Agar ap Quran palney waley hotey to Allah kehta hea bemaqsad aurat ko bahir nhea jana chahiyea. Agar jaty ho, to yea must hea.
— Syed Masroor Ali Sha (@Masroorpeer) January 1, 2018
Every possible argument was used to justify the act.
Ab rastay main koi larka puchta tou tharki, na puchay tou heartless.
— Essa Hassan (@DespicableMe__) January 1, 2018
It’s deeply saddening to see people justifying the act instead of supporting Saniya. However, this concept of victim-blaming has long existed in our society. Undoubtedly, it’s an evil we must eradicate. This proves why women do not open up about such experiences and do not report them either. Here’s hoping Saniya’s unfortunate case serves as a lesson in empathy.
What do you think about this? Let us know in the comments.
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