Lahore police restrict women’s presence at police stations after sunset

LAHORE: Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Operations Lahore Muhammad Faisal Kamran has directed that women should not remain present at any of the city’s police stations after sunset, citing the need to protect their dignity.

The decision comes amid concerns over crimes against women in the city.

The directive was issued during a crime control meeting with officers of the City Division, where the DIG instructed police officials to treat women with utmost respect and ensure that no woman — whether a complainant or an accused — is present at a police station after Maghrib.

However, critics said the responsibility of law enforcement agencies is to create a secure environment.

78 cops suspended after ASI arrested for sexually assaulting mentally ill girl in Lahore

Earlier, a Lahore police Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) was arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting a 19-year-old woman with a mental health condition in the Ghaziabad area.

According to police, the incident occurred after the victim left her home. When she did not return for several hours, her family began searching for her.

A local resident informed the family that a plain-clothes police official had taken the woman away on a motorcycle.

The victim later alleged that ASI Imran took her to another location and sexually assaulted her.

Police registered an FIR against the accused officer following the incident. DIG Investigation Syed Zeeshan Raza ordered immediate registration of the case and directed that the investigation be conducted transparently, impartially and strictly on merit.

Notably, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has repeatedly stated that the protection of women and children is a priority, describing them as her “red line”.

She has directed that if a woman makes a call on the police emergency helpline 15, a police response should reach her within 15 minutes and an FIR should be registered within 24 hours.