Uproar on social media: Teenager stripped in public

Public backlash after police refuse to lodge FIR

PESHAWAR: A 16 year old girl was stripped naked in public by a neighbour in Kachi Mohalla area of the Hashtnagri police station on May 30 following an altercation with her cousin, but the police refused to register a report and only recorded the complaint of the victim’s mother.

Only after the incident was reported on the social media, the mayor, the police chief and other high ups took notice and the local police crawled into action giving enough time for the culprit to escape with his family.

According to the victim’s family, police initially refused to register an FIR in the case and only registered a Roznamcha or daily dairy report but later when the issue was highlighted in social media, police, on receiving harsh criticisms from the public, were left with little option but to lodge an FIR in back date.

In social media it was wrongly reported that a 10 year old girl was paraded naked and locals also claimed that the girl was paraded naked by the suspect and police refused to take action against him. However, when the issue was reported in social media they registered an FIR saying that that the suspect had torn the teenage girl’s clothes.

In the FIR the age of the girl, however, has been given 16/17 years. And there is no mention of ‘paraded naked’

Lodging an FIR with Hashnagri police, Shaikla, a resident of the Kachi Mohalla stated that the accused Mazhar Hussain had exchanged harsh words with her nephew. She had gone to the Hashtnagri police station file a complaint against Hussain.

“On my way back home I took my daughter with me from the residence of my brother Ghulam Abass and was going home,” she stated in the report.

While she and her daughter were on their way back home, they were intercepted by the accused Hussain near the Imambargh and he attacked her daughter, tearing her clothes and making her naked on the busy road, Shakila said.

A local resident rushed to their rescue after which the accused fled the area and then another local Faqir Hussain gave them his shawl so that the young girl could cover herself up.

The incident was witnessed by local people whose names have been given as eyewitnesses.

District Nazim visit’s victim

The incident took place on May 30 but went unnoticed as the police tried their level best to hide it from the general public and the media. The issue, however, was highlighted by social media after which on Friday evening District Nazim Arbab Asim visited the residence of the victim and assured the family that the suspect would be arrested soon.

However, the suspect, who happens to be the victim’s neighbour and relative, escaped along with his family to avoid arrest. Police registered the FIR but failed to arrest the main suspect despite the passing of several days.

The father of the victim, in his statement said that his daughter had been paraded naked by the suspect who had fled along with his family. He confirmed that his daughter is 16 years old.



Public backlash

Right activist Imran Takkar heavily criticised the local police for hiding the incident and giving the accused enough time to escape.

“It is unfortunate and appalling that such incidents are taking place due to the inefficiency of the police. There is more propaganda in favour of the police rather than a real change in its attitude,” he said, adding that the life of the teenage girl had been ruined by this horrifying act, and due to police negligence the man responsible has successfully managed to escape from the scene.

Women’s rights activist, Rukhshind Naz, told The Express Tribune that the case would be reported in the media and the right activists and civil society would come to the roads in protest but the justice system and police system in this country was proving to be a big flop and not delivering.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 3^rd, 2018.