After inquiry: Three policemen suspended for harassing female colleagues

Officers allege they face sexual harassment, exploitation at the hands of male officers

ISLAMABAD: As many as three policemen have been suspended on charges of allegedly harassing their female colleagues in the capital’s Police Lines.

The officials were suspended after a letter was written to the Inspector General of Islamabad Police Sultan Azam Temuri.

The letter — which was dispatched to the chief justices of the Supreme Court, Islamabad High Court, the interior minister, the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) Chief Commissioner, and the inspector general of police — claimed that several female officers at the police lines were being sexually harassed.



Several anonymous female staffers and officers from the police headquarters alleged in the letter that they had faced sexual harassment and exploitation at the hands of their male officers and their staff on a daily basis.

The anonymous complainants particularly pointed fingers towards the readers and operators in the offices of the DSP, SP and SS P headquarters. They alleged that these officials, as well as the DSP-headquarters, exploit them sexually in exchange for sorting their official matters.

They sought action against the accused officials and requested that a woman officer along with a woman reader, should be appointed to supervise women at police lines headquarters.

Based on the letter, Temuri ordered AIG Operations SSP Asmatullah Junejo to conduct an inquiry and to trace the culprits.



According to a statement issued by the police, SSP Junejo subsequently held a meeting with all women police officers at the Police Lines to learn about their issues and to learn the identities of those harassing them.

“As a result of the inquiry, three officers have been suspended and disciplinary action has been initiated,” the statement read. Police have not released the names of the suspected officials. 

Published in The Express Tribune, April 11^th, 2018.