The visuals of a snack seller brutally tortured to death by wedding guests have sent shockwaves across the country. A video that went viral on social media displayed Ashraf Sultan, a daily wager, lying on the floor with the guests enjoying their meals completely unaffected by the incident. The cruelty of the incident left me speechless, and I could not help but picture myself as the next victim.
The lack of humanity and cruelty displayed by the perpetrators shows an absence of morality and the prevalence of intolerance in our society. Ashraf, oblivious to the ill fate that awaited him, went to the wedding to sell snacks so that he could earn a meagre amount of money to feed his family. Even though Ashraf’s brother-in-law tried to rescue him from the scene, the bloodthirsty guests did not let him come to his aid. This incident has once again reminded us that as a society we have failed on multiple fronts. We have failed to inculcate the value of human life, compassion and tolerance amongst the people. The ineffective law and order situation has emboldened people to disobey laws and commit heinous crimes.
The police only sprang into action after public outrage on social media. Twelve suspects were arrested including the wedding hall manager, and the police chief vowed to punish everyone responsible. Had the incident not been reported on social media, the perpetrators would have remained scot-free and continued to engage in all forms of cruelty. This is alarming because many incidents are never reported on social media and the police also remain impassive in helping the poor victims. This incident must be taken as an opportunity to address the larger issues prevalent in our society to avoid future acts of brutality.
SAJJAD HUSSAIN
LAHORE
