WEB DESK

A large number of Pakistanis took to the streets in different cities on Saturday to demanding justice and structural reform after the shocking gang rape on the Lahore-Sialkot motorway a few days ago.

The organisers of the Aurat March protests — in Islamabad, Lahore, Multan, Peshawar and Karachi — set forth five demands including an end to violence, affirmative steps by the government to uphold rights and ensure justice, accountability of Lahore Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Umer Sheikh and any other official who blames the victim, structural and procedural reforms and effective and transparent investigations by the criminal justice system.

The charter of demands included implementation of legislation related to criminal offences such as rape and the protection of transgender persons, banning the two-finger test and providing additional resources and training for reporting, investigation and prosecution of crimes pertaining to sexual violence.

It also demanded that all public spaces be made safe for women, gender-sensitive curricula be introduced and government spending on women’s health, education and safety be increased.