Medieval barbarism

THIS has reference to the report ‘Probe into burial alive of ’ baby girl (Aug 14).

Hats off to the media reporters as per DPO’s admission that the police got to know about this incident by ‘some media reporters’. This is another extreme example of medieval times which illustrates that the heinous and barbaric practice of female infanticides is still alive in some parts of the country, particularly in villages and economically challenged communities.

The irony is that the fabric of society, especially the tribal culture is becoming so feeble and worn-out that these types of incidents which certainly are just the tip of the iceberg are not even considered worth reporting to authorities by anyone.

Feudalism and its exploitation of underprivileged by wealthy is another major contributor to this gloomy state of affairs. Families from lower middle class and less who cannot easily make both ends meet resort to such crimes owing to their economic situations and their lack of education and prodigious beliefs in superstition.

This does not mean that well-to-do and rich are absolved from this atrocious act. There have been reports every now and then when, to avoid distribution of large pieces of lands, the land owners attempt to get rid of the females in their families in the same cruel and ruthless ways. The burying alive of five women in Baluchistan and support of that act by a tribal lawmaker in the National Assembly is not easy to forget.

Anas A. Khan

Canada

Published in Dawn, August 15th, 2015