Ushna Shah recently penned a powerful message on the rape and murder of Nimrita Kumari and questioned the standards and definition of morality in Pakistan.
Sharing a picture of herself from a protest held for Nimrita, Ushna wrote, “Rape has always plagued mankind, especially the subcontinent; but because I live in Pakistan I would like us to question our society.”
“Children abducted for child porn rings, my work with animal organisations leads me to cases of dogs being brutally gang raped. Women, children, minorities & even dogs/donkeys/dolphins/goats aren’t safe.”
She continued, “In a country where a picture with my bare arms warrants being asked the question “Are you Muslim” repeatedly, why is there so much moral corruption? So many vanguards of morality online yet the stats don’t make sense.”
“When I was only six, within one summer in Pakistan, I learnt of two rapes. This was one summer in Pakistan and both of these atrocities happened near my house hence I knew about them. One. Summer.”
“I am not demeaning our country, I am simply stating facts & asking WHY these figures are so high in our pious nation,” Ushna lamented.
“Could it be that the over-segregation, over sexualizing the most basic aspects of a woman’s body, the most strict taboos against any hint of sexuality have created a sickness beyond repair? Pakistan has topped the list of the most porn searching country yet there is an army of piety trolls issuing online fatwas against actresses baring their arms. Something isn’t adding up,” she concluded.
Nimrita Kumari Chandani, a final year student at Bibi Aseefa Dental College (BADC), was found dead in mysterious circumstances in her hostel room on September 16, 2019. The university, intially claimed that the student has committed suicide. However, on the insistence of her brother and massive province-wide protests, a judicial inquiry was ordered to look into the matter.
While the probe is still underway, the final postmortem report issued by Chandka Medical College Hospital (CMCH) Woman Medico-Legal Officer (WMLO) Dr Amrita revealed that the deceased was subjected to rape before being murdered.
As per the autopsy report, Nimrita’s death was determined to be caused by suffocation as asphyxial signs caused by a ligature on the neck were seen during the autopsy. The report further stated that a DNA test confirmed the presence of male DNA profile indicated from semen residue on the deceased’s clothes whereas a vaginal swab tested positive for a forced sexual act.
It is pertinent to mention here that Usha in her recent drama Cheekh played a young woman who was physically assaulted and murdered. The superhit drama also starred Saba Qamar, Bilal Abbas Khan and Aijaz Aslam among others.
