Revenge porn complaints often swept under the rug or ignored.

PESHAWAR/ ISLAMABAD/ LAHORE -- In a country where half the populace consists of women, the issues pertaining to women are often swept under the rug or classified as a family matter, which has resulted in women not only feeling unsafe in the country but also distrusting its criminal justice system.

For instance, despite the rise of social media and various feminist and human rights movements highlighting the plight of women in Pakistan, cases pertaining to revenge porn, are often ignored and many a time the victim's dignity is compromised in the investigative process.

For Samreen's family, a student of a private school in Peshawar, whose name has been changed to protect her identity, the ignorance vis-a-vis revenge porn hits too close to home.

'A school fellow of my sister posted doctored pictures of her on social media, which resulted in great harm to our family and also led to her fiance leaving her,' recounted Samreen's brother while talking to The Express Tribune.'Nevertheless, we went to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) with evidence about the doctored pictures but their unprofessional officers made our lives even more miserable. They refused to entertain a complaint unless the victim was present physically.'

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Samreen's plight is shared by many other women across the country. 'My former husband hacked my social media accounts and began blackmailing me about posting my pictures. When I finally mustered up the courage to report him to the FIA's Cyber Crime Wing (CCW), the officials did not express any interest in the complaint,' informed a victim from Lahore, who did not wish to be named.

'The FIA officials told me rather insensitively that nothing had happened yet and they could not take action unless my former husband acted upon the threat. Hence, they turned down my request for registering a complaint for lack of proof,' she added.

Even in instances where the FIA has registered a complaint of revenge porn, the all male investigation team has made many victims insecure about the fact that the evidence they attach with their complaint might get leaked. A university going student from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) informed The Express Tribune under the condition of anonymity that her friend was facing a similar predicament. 'A male friend of hers leaked pictures of her in a WhatsApp group and ever since then her life has become hell. We convinced her to report to the FIA, which she did but...