Identity protection breach irks LHC

LAHORE:

Lahore High Court (LHC) Chief Justice Aalia Neelum has summoned Punjab Inspector General of Police (IGP) Dr Usman Anwar over not taking concreter measures to stop from getting viral a female student's video wherein she was portrayed as a rape victim.

The CJ was hearing a plea seeking a high-level inquiry into an alleged increase in incidents of harassment in Lahore's educational institutions. The petitioner also sought action against those involved in an alleged rape case and those who used excessive force against protesting students.

During the proceedings, the CJ asked if the IGP as unaware that he had done nothing stop the video.

The Anti-Rape Act does not allow making public the name of an affected female but this had happened blatantly, the CJ remarked.

The IGP has to inform the court why the police did not take any action after the video went viral. It is tantamount to destroying the life of a girl whether or not the incident had occurred, the CJ observed.

CJ Aalia Neelum also summoned the registrar of the Lahore College for Women University and advocate general of Punjab on Friday.

The CJ made clear a handwritten 'roznamcha would be required, not computerised.

The petitioner's counsel Rana Muhammad Sikander quoted Punjab Assembly Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan as saying as that vice chancellor of the university had told him about failure to stop harassment in the institution.

Petitioner Azam Butt, in the plea filed through Advocate Rana Muhammad Sikander, had also requested the LHC that appropriate measures be implemented to ensure the safety and well-being of female students, thereby restoring their confidence in the security and protection provided by the institutions, followed by the submission of a report in this regard in the court.

The petitioner cited examples of a college where a rape case had been alleged, the Punjab University where a female student committed suicide allegedly due to harassment and the LCWU, where students had protested against alleged harassment by a clerk.

Instigation case

Meanwhile, a magistrate discharged an accused, Faisal Shahzad, from a case after the prosecution failed to establish the instigation of the general public on his part to commit act against the college or state.

According to the court

order, it was observed that there was no apparent evidence on record against the accused as no USB or digital media for forensics was available on record to prove the stance of the prosecution.

Judicial Magistrate Naeem Bakhsh turned down the Federal Investigation Agency's (FIA) request for seeking physical remand of the accused and discharged him from the case.

The suspect had been accused with reference to 11 videos pertaining to allegations regarding the purported college incident.

He was accused on the basis of an initial technical report of waging false propaganda and inciting people against the government.