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‘Motorway rape incident disgraced Pakistan across world’

By Agencies
September 25, 2020

ISLAMABAD: National Assembly Standing Committee on Law and Justice Thursday praised Punjab police for investigating motorway rape case using latest techniques.

The committee was told by the police officials that 25 teams were jointly working; the accused hace been arrested and further probe was going on. The meeting was chaired by Riaz Fatyana that was also attended by IG Motorway Kaleem Imam, Punjab additional IG and former IG Shoaib Suddle.

During the meeting, the Lahore police chief accused politicians of patronising robbers and other criminals.

CCPO Umar Sheikh claimed that a notorious criminal named Shahbaz Bhinder was found at the Dera of PML-N lawmaker Mohsin Raja.

The PML-N MNA, who is part of the committee, refuted his allegation and in turn accused the Lahore police chief of approaching him for the his appointment as a DIG.

The chairman of the committee observed that Pakistan was disgraced across the world after the Lahore motorway gang-rape incident.

“When a motorway is opened, security personnel should be deployed first and the communication ministry failed to do,” he said.

“The incident of rape on Lahore-Sialkot Motorway is sad and painful,” said IG Imam. “There is an area of 1,200 kilometres for which we have not been provided resources but are performing duties.”

Imam also added that the Motorway Police had kept bringing the issue of lack of resources in the notice of relevant authorities.

CCPO Sheikh, while briefing the committee on the incident, said the reason for the woman for travelling late at night was the pressure of returning home from her husband.

“A conference call was made with Frontier Works Organization on the complaint of the woman running out of fuel,” the CCPO said.

“Forty-five minutes after the call to helpline 130, no one reached out to help. At 2:47 pm, a passerby reported at 15 [police emergency number],” he added.

“If 15 had been called in time, the incident would not have occurred.”

The CCPO further said two best prosecutors available had been sought from the prosecutor general for the case.

He told the committee that 25 teams were working day and night to apprehend the main suspect, Abid Ali.

Fatyana said that there was one emergency helpline globally, but in Pakistan, each department had its own helpline. He recommended having one universal helpline number for the country. He also said police would have to increase the quota of women in its personnel.