Lahore cop hailed as hero

Gulberg Circle Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Shehr Bano Naqvi, who saved a young woman wearing a dress with Arabic calligraphy printed on it from a mob attack in Lahore yesterday, on Monday said that the incident took place due to “mere confusion” and “miscommunication”.

Talking to reporters, the police official refused to reveal the woman’s identity. She further stated that the calligraphy on the woman’s clothes did not bear Quranic verses.

“The word written [on the clothes] is doing the rounds on social media […] the meaning of the word is literally sincerity, love, goodness, life, humanity,” she said, adding that the dress belonged to a brand based in a foreign Muslim country.

To another question, ASP Shehr Bano said the entire incident began when a man in the locality went up to the woman — who was in the shop along with her husband — and told her to change her clothes.

“The woman asked why should she change and during that heated argument, considering it a religious matter, people started gathering.

“So, the situation unfolded because of mere confusion, miscommunication, lack of verification and playing on mob psychology,” the official said.

A potentially calamitous situation was averted in Lahore thanks to the resolute intervention of a policewoman from the Punjab Police.

Newly-elected Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif honoured Shehr Bano, recognising her exceptional courage and astuteness.

Maryam emphasised that the policewoman's timely intervention averted a potential tragedy, underscoring the critical importance of her actions.

Expressing gratitude to ASP Shehr Bano, Maryam remarked, "We take immense pride in your valour."
Despite facing intense pressure and challenging circumstances, the CM-elect said that Shehr Bano upheld the principles of justice and compassion, maintaining the dignity of law and humanity.

Meanwhile, in an interview with BBC, she recounted the intense moments outside a restaurant in Punjab's capital. “Had I not screamed and had I not convinced the crowd that we will do something about it, it would have turned nastier… Thank God,” Gulberg Circle ASP Shehr Bano Naqvi remarked.

This courageous officer found herself at the forefront of a rapidly escalating confrontation when a misunderstanding led the crowd to accuse a woman of blasphemy. The woman's dress had the word “Halwa” printed in Arabic letters on it, meaning “beautiful or sweet” in Arabic.

Displaying remarkable presence of mind and bravery, Shehr Bano swiftly took charge of the situation, preventing it from spiralling into tragedy.

Her decisive actions have garnered widespread praise, with the chief of Punjab Police Dr Usman Anwar advocating for her to be honoured with an award for her exemplary courage.

In the face of imminent danger, Shehr Bano's steadfastness not only safeguarded the lives of those involved but also prevented potential chaos and violence.

"It was a critical moment. I had to act swiftly to ensure the safety of the woman and prevent any harm from coming to her," Shehr Bano stated, emphasising the urgency of the situation.

Read more: Blasphemy suspect held a day after escape

The policewoman, along with her colleagues, managed to escort the woman to safety amidst the growing crowd. Videos circulated on social media depict the tense atmosphere, with Shehr Bano seen negotiating with the crowd, trying to restore order amidst chants for the woman to remove her attire.

"It was a tense situation, but we had to maintain control and ensure the safety of everyone involved," Shehr Bano added, highlighting the challenges faced by law enforcement in such high-pressure scenarios.

The situation turned ugly after someone alleged that the girl’s dress was bearing Quranic verses. However, some shopkeepers defended the girl and sheltered her in a shop, telling the mob it was just an Arabic calligraphy print.

As per eyewitnesses, most of the charged people in the mob were either customers, visitors or passersby and the garment traders who rescued the girl were aware of the clothing with Arabic calligraphy print available in the market.

A video clip taking rounds on social media shows the girl hiding in a shop shivering with fear of being attacked by the mob on blasphemy charge, an allegation that resulted in public lynching in many incidents in the past across the country.

The footage showed the girl denying the allegations of insulting religion, saying she has done nothing intentionally as the clothing with Arabic calligraphy was commonly worn in Gulf states, including Saudi Arabia.

The shopkeepers also endorsed her views saying the industry has encouraged clothes carrying Islamic/Arabic calligraphy and the alphabets and words on her shirt had nothing to do with the holy verses.

The witnesses say that though after the traders’ explanation, the mob got divided into groups having different views, still some charged zealots kept on insisting on “blasphemy” charge.

On this, the witnesses say, one of the traders called the police to avert any untoward incident resulting in harm to the girl.

Meanwhile, some police officials reached the spot and sensing that it has been turned into a sensitive issue, reported it to their high-ups who ordered them to act quickly and rescue the girl to avoid any untoward incident.

A police team engaged the crowd and some officials took the girl into protective custody and shifted her to the police station amid heightened security measures.

The police officers explained that the meaning of one of a word ‘Halwa’ written in Arabic calligraphy on the dress the girl was wearing was not a holy word.

During an hour or so custody of the terrified girl, ASP Gulberg circle briefed the media persons that the alphabets on the shirt the teenage girl was wearing have nothing to do with Quranic verses.

The girl in her statement strongly rejected the allegations of committing blasphemy, saying she could not even think of disrespecting Islam as she was from a religious family.