Muntaha’s Death Exposes Society’s Apathy

Asem Mustafa Awan

Islamabad: Seven-year-old Muntaha was attending her grandmother’s funeral with her parents, but tragically, her own funeral followed just days later.

During the week, the young child breathed her last in her father’s arms, as neither hospital nor doctor provided the urgent care she needed. The fatal blow came from a kite string that severed Muntaha’s jugular vein.

Her father’s desperate pleas for help went unanswered, as onlookers chose to record videos rather than assist. This pervasive indifference is deplorable.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi extended heartfelt condolences and intervened to register the First Investigation Report (FIR).

A national daily reported the authorities’ reluctance to file the report, with the police attempting to label the incident a roadside accident, ignoring the true cause. It is no secret that every year, countless lives are lost to these deadly kite strings, which easily sever necks.

For decades, this murderous sport has claimed numerous lives, yet it persists as a national hobby. Muntaha’s death revealed the deep-seated apathy within society, accustomed to atrocities that would provoke outrage elsewhere.

The lack of immediate medical care further compounded the tragedy. After nearly an hour of agony, with no competent hospital or doctor available, Muntaha died in her father’s arms.

In a superficial attempt to placate public anger, authorities arrested local kite fliers, releasing photos to show action. Yet kite flying continues, defying laws that are rarely enforced. Families of the arrested accused authorities of staging an eyewash, questioning why the banned activity persists if laws truly exist.

Social scientists suggest various reasons for the public’s defiance, from systemic resentment to economic disparity. Muntaha’s death exposes a corrupt, rotten system: incompetent authorities, non-existent medical facilities, and a public devoid of empathy.

Just to name a few: the incompetency of authorities who rounded up people like cattle and placed them behind bars, the non-existent medical facilities that led to the child’s death, and the lack of empathy from the public who watched as it happened.

This tragedy is a stark reminder of the profound failures within the nation which needs immediate and urgent attention.

Asem Mustafa Awan has extensive reporting experience with leading national and international media organizations. He has also contributed to reference books such as the Alpine Journal and the American Alpine Journal, among other international publications.