"This kind of violation of women is very common, but...

"This kind of violation of women is very common, but every time it is highlighted, the practice stops at least for a while, which is better than nothing," he told Reuters.
Dozens of rapes and 'honour' killings of women have been registered in Punjab in 2002, with women slain by fathers, brothers and husbands for 'crimes', including failing to conceive a child and refusing to become a prostitute.
But Naeem Mirza of the Aurat Foundation, a women's rights group, said the Meerwala case was particularly shocking.
"The most distinctive feature of this case is that this was sanctioned by the panchayat, and the public outrage also makes it different."
The defence denies that the panchayat ordered the crime.
One surprising aspect of the gang-rape case is that it came to light at all. People in the region are afraid to reveal abuses, because perpetrators wield influence or because of the social stigma attached to victims.In Mai's case, the local imam, Abdul Razzaq, spoke about the alleged crime in a mosque during Friday prayers. Police were accused of dragging their feet in the investigation until the case attracted international media attention. Once that happened, work accelerated, said Joiya.
A knock-on effect has been greater public scrutiny of judgments by other panchayats since the case was first reported.