This death could have been prevented

My past column was about the tragic death of Asma Mustaq in the heart of a mountain. This time, I find myself writing about another woman whose death has shocked us all. Every death is tragic, but the incident involving Hina Javed is quite uncommon. It leaves me with one painful thought: this death could have been prevented.

Hina Javed, a 45-year-old married woman, was found dead in the bathroom of her home in Rawalpindi’s Lal Kurti area on August 21. Her hands were reportedly tied, and there was a noose around her neck. The initial post-mortem findings have made the case even more troubling.

According to the preliminary report, Hina had a fractured neck bone. There were also injuries to her ribs and hip, while blood was found in the membrane surrounding her heart. Her body reportedly carried marks of injuries in different places. Yet the final cause of death has not been determined. Samples, including DNA and other evidence, have been sent for forensic examination. The investigation is still ongoing, and the final report will be crucial.

Her husband and a domestic worker have been arrested, and the police are investigating the case. Like every criminal investigation, this one must follow the law. No person should be declared guilty before the evidence is examined and a court reaches its conclusion. But the facts that have emerged so far are serious enough to demand a thorough, transparent and speedy investigation.

What troubles me most is not simply the manner in which Hina died. It is the uncomfortable truth behind so many cases of violence against women: danger does not always come from outside.

We teach our daughters to be careful when they leave home. We warn them about strangers. We tell them which streets to avoid and which people not to trust. But what happens when the threat is inside the place where a woman is supposed to feel safest?

A marriage should offer companionship, dignity and protection. It should never become a prison. A home should never become a place where fear lives behind closed doors.

This is why Hina Javed’s death deserves more than public anger for a few days. It should force us to ask difficult questions about domestic violence, warning signs and the silence that often surrounds troubled relationships.

How many people suffer quietly because they fear society? How many women are told to adjust, remain patient and protect the family’s reputation? How many warning signs are ignored until it is too late?

Sometimes, preventing a tragedy does not require a miracle. It requires someone to listen. Someone to believe. Someone to intervene before violence becomes irreversible.

The case has understandably caused outrage on social media. Politicians, celebrities and ordinary citizens have demanded justice. This public concern is important. It reminds authorities that people are watching.

But we must also be careful.

Social media can easily turn a criminal case into a courtroom of rumours. Labels, assumptions and unverified claims can damage the search for truth. The investigation should be guided by evidence, forensic science and the law—not by viral posts.

There is also a temptation to compare every shocking case with another famous tragedy. Such comparisons may express public anger, but every victim deserves to be seen as an individual, not simply as the next name in a list.

Hina Javed deserves justice because she was Hina Javed.

Her death should be investigated completely. If a crime was committed, those responsible must be held accountable through due process. There should be no influence, no delay and no attempt to hide behind excuses.

Justice after a death is necessary. But justice before a death is even more important.

Hina Javed’s family now waits for answers. Pakistan must ensure that they receive them.

And beyond the investigation, we owe something to every woman who may be suffering silently today: a society that listens before it is too late.