
Pakistan is a country where male dominance andentitlement areunquestioned because it isunabashedly patriarchal.
Even in Pakistani families that pride themselves on being non-discriminatory in their treatment of their male and female children, the binaries of the do’s and the don’ts of the two genders are underscored in bold letters.
On June 1, an eight-year-old called Zahra Shah died aftershe was, allegedly, beaten up mercilessly for freeing two parrots. She was beaten so ruthlessly that she died a few hours later.
Zahra had escaped her hometown to make ends meet andfound work at a couple's home in Rawalpindi who promised to educate herin return for her work.
The case prompted anger and made national headlines in Pakistan due to which the couple who employed zahra were soon put behind bars.
In June, the hashtag ''Justice for Zohra Shah'' trended immensely in Pakistan because the country's media confused Zahra for Zohra.
On July 8, the news of another Zahra’s death shook Pakistan’s social media.Sadaf Zahra Naqvi, the mother of a one-year old baby girl and the wife of a prominent Pakistani journalist,Ali Salman Alvi,known to countless Twitter users of Pakistan, ''died''on June 29.
Zahra's sister in law accused her husband of murdering her and covering it up as suicide. A thread posted on Zahra's Twitter timeline unravels her horrifying story in subtle references.
The story of a ruined marriage, betrayal, blackmailing, threats,extortion and all the torture she silently dealt with for the sake of her daughter.
The personalness of this thread suggests that it was addressed to her husband who is currently facing an investigation.
There are many more Zahras living amongst us. Young girls who are being tortured by men and women alike. Married women who are killing themselves because of their partners.