CCPO’s victim blaming sparks protests in city

Social media abuzz with condemnation of tragic incident

LAHORE:

Punjab women parliamentarians, civil society representatives and lawyers staged protest demonstrations against the remarks of CCPO Lahore Umer Shoib Sheikh and tragic Gujjarpura incident on Friday.

Punjab women parliamentarians and civil society members led by Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) gathered outside the Central Police Office (CPO) to stage a protest. Other prominent members included Hina Pervez Butt, Ayesha Raza Farooq, Kiran Daar, Kanwal Liaqat, Sania Ashiq and former MNA Saira Afzal Tarar.

Shaista Pervaiz Malik while speaking on the occasion said that how inhumane and delinquent it is that mother of three children kept on crying for help while being assaulted at midnight. However, Police remained busy in shifting responsibility from one to another. Motorway police and local could not decide about the jurisdiction.

The police shifted the call to Federal Works Organisation (FWO) that is not even a first responder. She continued that this tiny minority of the protesters gathered outside the CPO was “just a tip of the iceberg”. She added that if the action was not assured, it can turn into a movement.

On the issue of placing new CCPO to victimise N-league, she said that they had faced a dictator like Musharraf and CCPO was no match for him.

Another protester, Sania Ishaq said when asked to tell whether the IG Punjab condemned the CCPO statement, he said yes he does. “The CCPO must be suspended and any inquiry under his mind-set cannot provide justice to the victim.”

The IGP Inam Ghani called on the women parliamentarians. The IGP informed the women parliamentarians about progress made in the Gujjarpura Motorway incident and said police teams have been mobilised to arrest the sexual predators involved in the Gujjarpura Motorway rape case. “I am personally monitoring the progress,” he remarked.

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He further said that keeping women and children safe from all kinds of crimes was one of the top priorities of the Punjab Police and as a citizen of an independent country, any man or woman can travel in any city of the province without any fear or danger.

A group of lawyers and civil society members also staged a protest outside the CCPO Office. Awami Workers Party (AWP) while announcing their participation called upon by various civil society organisations and rights groups like Aurat March, Progressive Students Collective (PSC), Women Action Forum (WAF) and other groups on Friday said that they strongly condemned the Motorway Incident and demanded to ensure safety for women in public and private spaces.

According to the Lahore Capital City Police Officer Umer Sheikh, the woman did not want to lodge an FIR as she was ‘disoriented’ tells a lot about the mistrust women have on the security agencies and the judicial system that even in the worst situation they don’t feel safe to access them. Adding fuel to the fire, the CCPO, in a press statement, suggested that women should be careful while leaving their homes alone at night, adding that this woman thought of ‘Pakistan as Paris’.

The women rights organisations the statement of the CCPO shifts the blame to the victim and it is unacceptable. The statement was problematic at many levels by indirectly advising men to not let their ‘sisters and daughters’ travel alone instead of focusing on ensuring the safety of women in public and private spaces whereas women are denied of access to many basic rights ie, education, health, vacation, sports, personal freedom etc. because of the limited mobility pertaining to the capitalist and patriarchal institutions.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 12^th, 2020