Pakistan’s Moral Bankruptcy: Where Do We Go From Here?
I was 19 when a number of cases of harassment came to light in my university – harrowing instances of the levels of abuse students faced inside the walls of the campus. I vividly remember writing a long Facebook post to act as a guide for men on actions which are uncomfortable for women. I genuinely believed that some of these men partially did not realize when they’re crossing the line, and if I spelt it out for them, it would help reduce such instances.
I could not be more wrong.
The more I observe the world around me, one thing becomes increasingly obvious: men (or any criminal) always know when they are in the wrong, they continue the act because they know whey will get away with it. And they do – in Pakistan especially. The same men who catcall, grope and stare at every woman on the streets of Pakistan, become unbelievably shareef when they go to countries with stricter rule of law. The crime becomes easier and – after a certain point desirable – when the entire society not only accepts it, but starts condoning it through justification, victim blaming, and protection of the culprit.
In Pakistan, this has gone beyond gender-based violence, and abuse of power has become the new norm across the board, from a familial level to state level. With accountability non-existent, constitution and laws nothing more than mere documents on the shelf, and law enforcement agencies complacent in crime, everyone – from individuals to institutions – know that they can get away with murder – and everything below that.
Pakistan as a nation has reached a point of collective moral bankruptcy where no form of injustice surprises us anymore – acts of justice do. This injustice can take multiple forms:
Gender-based violence
Be it a doctor on duty, a wife in the comfort of her home, or a student in her university – violence against women has become so common, we don’t even bat an eye anymore.
You reject a man, he kills you. You marry a man of your choice, your family kills you out of honor. You refuse intimacy, your husband proudly announces your murder and your son refuses to avenge your murder.
Every instance more harrowing than the one before, each taking us one step closer to a point of no return. Over 32,000 gender-based violence, 5,000+ rape and over 500 honor killing cases occurred in Pakistan during 2024 alone, with thousands going unreported due to taboo and forced silence. The conviction rate remains less than 5%, and in a few cases like Zahir Jaffar’s where abusers are miraculously awarded sentences (due to high pressure from the public), the courts continue to provide them with the luxury of appeals.
The trend needs to be called what it is: femicide.
As a nation, we hate women, and we make it known at every step. From the dismay at the birth of a daughter, to stripping away financial, legal and fundamental rights from them, women are treated not as humans, but as objects meant to serve the men around them, and uphold ‘honor’ (whatever that is supposed to mean).
Murder in Broad Daylight
On 10th June, Maryam Nawaz’s specialized unit, the Crime Control Department (CCD), “accidently” killed a 10-year old girl, leaving her father and brother injured, after mistaking the car and firing hundreds of bullets to the car of a family that was escaping robbers. The department has later issued an ‘apology’ – that too because the family was Australian national and the case received international attention.
Can the apology bring back the girl killed by the police?
The CCD was formed by the CM to tackle serious crimes, and has increased authorities – including killing on-sight. To date, the force has killed 924 suspects in 670 encounters. (https://hrcp-web.org/hrcpweb/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/2026-The-CCDs-role-in-Punjab.pdf)
No arrests. No legal proceedings. No justice. Just state-sponsored killing on mere suspicion.
The concept of the force in itself is flawed, it is an admission by the government that LEAs are ineffective and the justice system is incapable of handling crime. Major human rights organizations including HRCP have expressed deep concerns at this form of vigilante justice, citing that it only increases violence.
Worldwide there is an accepted principle: innocent until proven guilty. How are we so comfortable with ‘mistaken’ state-back murders. Even if 1% of these 924 killings were wrongly identified, it’s a cost too high. Why can the government not put the same amount of effort into strengthening our institutions?
State-level Violence
After multiple instances of the state opening fire at PTI supporters for coming out to protest, and decades long history of violence and forced disappearances in Baluchistan and KPK, the state has turned towards ‘Azad’ Jammu & Kashmir with intense crackdown and brutality. What began as peaceful protests by the JAAC for the government’s failure to fulfil promises made last year, have lef to a complete blackout in Kashmir for the last two weeks.
No internet. No mobile service. No transport.
This is not control, this is not governance. It is brutality which must be condemned at every level. The constitution gives every citizen of the country the right to protest as well as the right of political affiliation. Under any democracy, opposition will always exist. While it has been a long-standing trend in Pakistan to announce any opposing ideology or movement as “traitor”, “RAW-agents” or “terrorists”, the recent practice of agencies resorting to open violence is against every semblance of human rights.
Why Are We So Comfortable with our Moral Bankruptcy?
There are multiple different manifestations of unbridled tyranny and moral decay in Pakistan, from the unjust water distribution, to the exploitation of small-holder farmers, from the forceful demolition of homes (Nurpur Sehan and Bari Imam) to cancellation of medical licenses on the whims of bureaucrats, the tales of injustice are innumerable in Pakistan. Such widespread societal decay does not happen overnight, it takes decades of mass indifference, acceptance, and support to build a system where evil is entangled in the build of the societal fabric.
Question is: why have we as a society become so comfortable with the state of moral decay where we currently stand?
A few reasons come to mind that could explain our collective indifference
Economic Challenges
Over recent years, Pakistani population has struggled really hard economically and financially, with average real incomes declining sharply. Compared against 2018-19, the household purchasing power declined by 17% in 2024-25 according to Gallup Pakistan survey. What this translates into is a shrinking middle class, with more families failing to maintain a minimum living standard. Families are cutting out on education, health, and even nutritional spending. With more and more people struggling to simply live, morality and social responsibility takes a backseat.
The need to put food on the table overrides ensuring it is through halal means.
A majority of the population in Pakistan feels like they no longer have the time to spend on fixing the society. The bills need to be paid, forcing many into taking up multiple shifts or longer hours, making ideology, ethics or heroism a luxury they cannot afford – financially and physically.
Survival Mode
Beyond just financial constraints is a deeper challenge which has pushed even the most determined, passionate individuals into inaction: the fight for survival. Over the last few years, the state has made it increasingly clear that demand for justice in any shape or form will be met with brute force, severe crackdowns and even collective punishment. From students being thrown into jail for protesting, to women and children dragged from their homes at midnight, the state has crossed all limits of what is “acceptable” in terms of countering opposition.
A majority of people are leading their lives out of fear for their own selves, as well as for their families. One tweet, one statement, or even being in the vicinity of a protest venue can lead even influential individuals like Iman and Hadi Mazari to jail, forcing thousands to stay silent even as injustice reaches their own homes. Silent compliance has become the only option for many.
Lack of Moral Grounding
Every religion, philosophy and tradition has a moral thread to it. Islam focuses on honesty in livelihood, ehsaan towards others, dignity in household dealings. Christianity is the religion of goodness towards others. Kant’s categorical imperative mandates every action to be universally applicable, and so on. However, where our societies currently stands, ideologies are overtaken by capitalistic interests, and humanity is increasingly being outsourced to machines with no emotions or morals.
In the more specific context context of Pakistan, morality and goodness is being removed from all of the pillars that make up our society. Our schools are churning out robots devoid of personalities, only set to become members of workforce, with no concept of creative thinking left in them. Students are being trained only to seek for positions in board exams, and admissions into prestigious universities at any cost – even if it comes through cheating or paying others to do assignments. Our religious sermons and madrassas, on the other hand, refuse to move past women’s clothing, fitnah and blasphemy.
We are nurturing children who see everyone around them as competition that they must ‘win’ against through any means – be it physical harm, financial fraud or state-level crackdown. All is fair in the war of coming on top.
Where Do We Go From Here?
Pakistan currently stands at a very critical point, where we as a nation need to take a stand against our own vices before they consume us entirely. A society is built on a few fundamental principles to ensure coexistence, which include mutual trust and respect for life, property, and dignity. Ask yourself right now: how many people in this country can you trust with your money, your children or even your secrets? The harsh truth is that we are living in a state even worse than a banana republic – we are inhabitants of a jungle. No amount of propaganda on ‘progress’ can change the fact that our social fabric has torn apart really badly.
The first step towards recovery is acceptance of the illness. We need to accept that we Pakistanis are diseased with moral and spiritual bankruptcy, and we are all facing the consequences of our inaction – in all spheres of our lives. There is no quick fix to solving the mess that we find ourselves in, but a few steps that can be taken to ensure betterment in the coming generations are the following:
- Ethics in Education – and I mean beyond the half-baked “ethics” subject offered as a replacement to Islamiat. Ethics and morals need to be inculcated from a young age regarding the rights of others, responsibilities owed towards family and community at large. A gendered lens towards this is necessary to teach young girls regarding the legal protections they can avail as well as their rights as individuals, and especially to teach young boys how to respect and treat women in and beyond their families.
- Religious Sermons and Influential Figures: From mosques to temples, religious leaders must realize the power they hold in shaping mindsets of the men in the society. They need to preach about tolerance, honesty in dealings, standing against injustice in our own communities. If they must talk about women in Islam, they should move beyond four marriages and dressing, and talk about women as equal beings in Islam with kindness and respect mandated for them, especially at the hands of the men in their home.
- Support for Mobilization: From Balochistan to Kashmir, we need to change our mindset against local uprisings and mobilization. Beyond the state narrative of labelling each one of them as an anti-state agent, we need to truly study what the demands are, and decide for ourselves whether they truly are the terrorists they are painted as? Standing up for political and economic rights in a martial-law like situation is in itself an act of bravery. If we are to ever see a change, we need to support the brave ones who are able to stand for themselves.
- Accountability for Institutions: As patriots, we all respect our institutions and the individuals who work in them, however, we must remember that all institutes and government servants are to be ‘loved’ only till they work diligently in the best interest of the country and countrymen. Questioning them and demanding better is not treachery, it is our responsibility as citizens of Pakistan. Question the budget spending, question the abuse of power, the amendments in constitution, the rigging of elections and every other wrong that you witness. Only through accountability can we build a system which is the best possible version.
The situation is bleak, and living through it is nothing less than hell. However, we must hold on to the hope that change IS possible, but it only comes through collective and continuous efforts. This is our county, and no level of disassociation can change that for any of us. No matter where we go, or which passport we manage to acquire, we will always remain Pakistanis, and it is our moral, religious and human responsibility to come together to fix the mess that has been created in our name. The greater responsibility falls on you and I – the educated youth of this country. It is upon us to fix what our elders have ruined.
