Cyclist Samar Khan says harassed in capital

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani award winning cyclist Samar Khan has claimed to have been harassed while cycling in Islamabad.

In a video in which she filmed herself in the middle of a road, Samar Khan termed cycling for women in Pakistan ‘not safe’ at all. She said that while she was cycling in the capital city Islamabad, a man who was on a bike groped her and sped away.

She attempted to follow him but could not catch him as she was on a cycle. She described the man in a maroon shirt, possibly from an office and carrying a bag. She questioned that what a man gets by touching a woman on a road, asking, was it not an unscrupulous act?

Khan, while mentioning that she does not blame anyone for the incident neither men neither the government, questioned her followers they ignore such incidents when they witness such incidents in public.

She said at the time she was harassed there were other people driving on the road but chose to ignore the incident. She asked whether the harassers or those involved in such incidents are privileged to do so.

In August 2016, Samar Khan, 26, became the first woman to cycle 800 kilometers to reach the Biafo Glacier in northern Pakistan, where she then rode at an elevation of 4,500 m on top of the glacier.

Accomplishing one of the highest glacier rides in the world, she proved that glaciers can draw attention to some of society’s most entrenched issues, from climate change to women’s rights. “In order to change the mindsets of our people, I chose to cycle on glaciers,” Khan told GlacierHub. “I wanted people to realise the importance of what we have, how to preserve it, and what our duties are toward these majestic landmarks.”