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The feminist movement Aurat March Karachi has called on Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz to either apologize or resign following her controversial comments about the alleged rape of a student in Lahore.
The organization expressed outrage at Maryam’s “vile and regressive language,” stating that the CM is “unfit to represent the public while dismissing the safety, rights, and dignity of survivors of sexual violence.”
During a Wednesday press conference, Maryam dismissed what she referred to as “rumors spread on social media” about the alleged on-campus rape, calling it a “fabricated story.” However, Aurat March condemned her remarks, particularly her statements about the girl’s purity, arguing that it perpetuates the harmful patriarchal notion that women’s value is linked to their sexual chastity. The group noted that such rhetoric is even more damaging in the context of rape.
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Aurat March questioned whether survivors of rape are considered “impure,” highlighting that over 21,900 rape cases were reported in Pakistan from 2017 to 2021, with many more likely going unreported due to fear, shame, and stigma. They argued that the CM’s words further discourage survivors from seeking justice and contribute to a culture of victim-blaming that “protects rapists while vilifying those they harm.”
