Female police officials arrest man harassing, filming Kalash women in Chitral

DPO Chitral thanked public for highlighting issue of women harassment on social media

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Police sprang into action after a two-year-old armature video of alleged women harassment in Chitral went viral on the social media.

In the video, a tourist could be seen filming a group of women from the minority Kalash community with his cell-phone camera in the Bumburet valley of Chitral. The tourist continues filming them even though they request him to stop.

On Thursday, the lady police arrested the suspected tourist.

Mansoor Aman, the district police officer (DPO) Chitral, formally announced the arrest of the suspect, Aimal Khan, on Thursday night when he was brought in from Peshawar in handcuffs by lady police officers.

“The suspect was brought in handcuffs by the lady police to make him realise that the women of Chitral are not weak and that they cannot be harassed,” said the DPO.

He thanked the public for highlighting this important issue of women harassment in Kalash valley on the social media.


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The in-charge of Chitral Museum, Syeda Gul Kalash, said there have been countless incidents in the district where Kalash women had been harassed by tourists in the past.

“Tourists from different parts of the country take pictures and film the Kalash women without their permission. Later, these pictures and videos are posted on social media websites,” she told BBC Urdu by phone from Chitral.

“In some incidents, tourists even entered the homes of the Kalash people without permission to take pictures and shoot videos,” she claimed.

Syeda Gul said the Kalash community never compromised on the honour of their women, but since they were in minority, tourists harassed their women with impunity and got away with it.

“We Kalash are an honourable people. You have good and bad people in every community, but that doesn’t mean tourists start generalising and harassing Kalash women,” she added.

Syeda Gul said that the Kalash were a peace-loving community who loved their country. “They encourage people to visit their region and witness their culture.”
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