The vigil-aunties of Karachi...

Imagine this: you are a young Pakistani woman walking in a Karachi park with a young man. He could be your brother, cousin, university friend, fiance, or husband. You are wearing a full burqa, and your companion is walking beside you, carrying on a conversation. You are a middle to lower-middle-class girl, with a lot of restrictions on your life, and this time in this public space, where you are modestly dressed and doing no harm, give you a bit of respite in a life that carries a lot of expectations about how you conduct yourself and what weight that places on your family’s respectability.

Suddenly, from out of nowhere, a group of fifteen upper-class women descend upon you. One of them has a microphone which she thrusts into your companion’s face, and there is a camera crew behind her, filming every moment. She claims to be doing a survey on mobile phone crime, but the questions she poses become more and more intrusive. “Are you college students? Yes? Then why aren’t you in class? It’s morning time.” The woman with the microphone assures you the camera is not recording, but the accusations become more pointed. “Are you on a date? Are you married? Where’s your nikahnama?” Full story...

Don't miss:

1. Lady doctors in Karachi hospital sexually harassed by male staff...
2. Women in Malawi beaten and stripped for wearing trousers...
3. Slutwalking and a woman's right to dress as she pleases...
4. In India's Kerala, the moral brigade goes on the rampage against women...
5. Morality police hits Tehran's streets...
6. Man in Malaysia attacks women wearing shorts!!!