Prime Minister Imran Khan has taken note of the assault against a female TikToker at Minar-e-Pakistan last week and directed the Punjab inspector general of police to investigate the matter, his aide reported.
Sayed Zulfiqar Bukhari stated on Twitter that the PM personally spoke to the Punjab IG on both the e manhandling of the woman and the vandalisation of Ranjit Singh’s statute at Lahore Fort.
“Police is catching all culprits involved in manhandling of female Tiktoker in Lahore and those damaging statue of Ranjit Singh at Lahore Fort,” Bukhari tweeted.
The senior PTI leader said that these are gross violations of laws and social norms and the government won’t spare a single person involved in these crimes.
Meanwhile, Punjab government spokesman Fayyazul Hassan Chohan Wednesday condemned the Minar-e-Pakistan incident where a woman was assaulted by a mob and said the culprits are being identified through video footage.
“The incident of assault on a woman in Greater Iqbal Park is a shameful act which has brought shame to the society,” Fayyaz Chohan said in a statement today.
He said that the accused involved in the video are being identified and will be brought to justice.
The incident came to light after a video went viral on social media, showing hundreds of men attacking a woman as she went to the park with four of her friends to celebrate Independence Day.
The police registered a case against 400 men for assaulting the woman who was making TikTok videos at the park.
Meanwhile, PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto has slammed the incident and asked the government to bring those responsible to the book.
“The assault of a young woman by a mob at #minarepakistan should shame every Pakistani. It speaks to a rot in our society,” the PPP leader said.
He said that those responsible must be brought to justice.
“The women of Pakistan feel insecure and it is all our responsibility to ensure safety and equal rights to all,” he added.
While talking to the media, DIG Investigations Shariq Jamal Khan said the police were taking the case as a challenge and promised to take it to the logical end.
The police officer said the investigations were underway after the case was filed. “We have the videos and the experts are analyzing as it is a technical process to ascertain who was doing what.”
Shariq Jamal said the case is very strong and that they have also recorded the statement of the victim.
In yet another terrifying episode of violence against women, a woman in Lahore’s Greater Iqbal Park was assaulted by hundreds of men.
The victim, along with her friends, was making a TikTok video in the park when hordes of men of all ages climbed a fence and attacked the woman.
The victim told the police that the men groped her, tore off her clothes, beat her, and tossed her in the air. In addition, they robbed her of Rs15,000, snatched her mobile phone and took off her gold ring and studs.
Out of hundreds of men, many of who just stood there and even made a video, only one person came to the woman’s rescue and helped her get out of the park.
Meanwhile, Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar has sought a report from Lahore Capital City Police Officer about the harassment of the woman in Greater Iqbal Park and directed to the early arrest of the accused
The chief minister said it was a very regrettable incident and it was a collective responsibility to provide justice to the affected woman, he added.
In this regard, CCPO Ghulam Mahmood Dogar issued a statement wherein he said the suspects were being identified through videos of the incident shared on social media, and that a number of photos and videos had been sent to the National Database and Registration Authority to ascertain their identities.
CCPO Dogar ordered police to arrest the suspects visible in the video clips and said the culprits would be “traced soon”, according to the statement.
“Those misbehaved with the girl will be dealt with strictly,” he was quoted as saying.
The footage is being acquired from Safe City cameras, DHA and TikTok clips, a police official who asked not to be named because the investigation is ongoing told Dawn.com. He said at least 10 suspects had been identified and would be apprehended soon, adding that more suspects would be identified soon.
On Wednesday, Lahore Police also issued an appeal to the public to help identify and arrest the suspects involved in the incident.
The FIR was registered under Sections 354-A (assault or use of criminal force against woman and stripping her of her clothes), 382 (theft after preparation made for causing death, hurt or restraint in order to commit the theft), 147 (rioting) and 149 (unlawful assembly) of the Pakistan Penal Code.
Azhar Mashwani, Punjab chief minister’s focal person for digital media, on Wednesday said that “strong and non-bailable clauses” had been added to the FIR.
He added that Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar had ordered police to arrest all the culprits “ASAP”.
Meanwhile, PTI leader Zulfi Bukhari said that Prime Minister Imran Khan had personally spoken to the Punjab inspector general of police about the incident. “Police is catching all culprits involved in [the] manhandling of female TikToker in Lahore,” he tweeted.
Punjab Finance Minister Makhdoom Hashim Jawan Bakht strongly condemned the assault, saying “the full might of the government will come down” upon those involved in it.
with additional input from INP
Our PM is interested only in knowing what women wear than their plight. Incompetence at its best.