KARACHI: On the night of Dec 1st, Dua Mangi was kidnapped by armed, unidentified men in DHA Karachi.
She was in the company of a male friend, Haris Soomro, in Bukhari Commercial area. In his initial statement to the police, Haris said that 4 unknown men in a car blocked their path and held the two at gunpoint. When they grabbed Dua, he attempted to free her. He was shot in the neck, and Dua was subsequently pulled into the car and driven away.
Police acquired the CCTV footage in which the car can be seen speeding away – they believe the car was stolen from Tariq Road.
Dua’s father suspected Muzaffar, a boy with which Dua had an argument with 10 days prior to her kidnapping. Police also suspect a classmate of hers from the US who had allegedly been pressuring her to marry him. Two students had been arrested, although their involvement in the kidnapping is still currently unclear.
The family has received no calls for ransom from the kidnappers as of yet. In the latest development in the case, police believe Dua’s abduction to be the work of a criminal gang. However, this is yet to be verified.
THE INTERNET REACTS
The slow progress of law enforcement in recovering Dua prompted the family to organize a sit-in at Teen Talwar Chowrangi on Dec 3rd at Clifton to demand answers. The sit-in carried on from 6pm to 10pm.
The kidnapping became a social media storm for the wrong reasons however.
After Dua’s pictures in Western attire were circulated online, a wave of victim-blaming and slut shaming followed. Keyboard warriors claimed that Dua was inviting kidnappers with the way she chose to dress. People also questioned her character as she was in the company of a male friend at a late hour when the incident occurred.
Activists, social commentators, friends and family have lashed out against this trolling, appalled by the lack of empathy. They are currently organizing another demonstration at the Karachi Press Club on Dec 5th with hopes that pressure from the media would prompt law enforcement to hasten the investigation and police procedure.
Rights activists demand why these critics do not bring up dress or character when minors, infants and corpses are sexually abused. Why are they a concern when only women are victimised?
Report by Asra Haque