A shameful incident from Pakistan has drawn sharp criticism from various quarters. Pakistani police are reportedly under fire for their disgraceful behaviour towards the mother of a man named Usman Dar. The police allegedly took Dar’s mother into a secluded room, leaving others standing outside. The woman’s daughter started recording the incident on her mobile phone, and when she questioned the officers about their actions, they simply covered the room’s window. The incident sparked the anger of Pakistani female journalist Junaira Azhar, who shared a video to shed light on the issue.
Lambasting her own country’s police force, Junaira Azhar questioned the mentality that allows an officer to mistreat any woman, particularly in her own home. She expressed concern over the police’s audacity to misbehave with a woman of their mother’s age in a closed room.
She also highlighted the similar mistreatment of a female demonstrator from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). She recounted that just a few days ago in Islamabad, the police attempted to drag a female PTI demonstrator to a roadside cemetery. After this harrowing experience, the female demonstrators informed the media that the police had taken them to a cemetery where several martyrs are buried, leaving them in fear of what might happen next.
Azhar raised serious questions about the current state of affairs in Pakistan. She asserted that the police are dispatched to maintain control over situations, but this does not mean they are free to do whatever they please. The journalist emphasized that it seemed as if the police have lost all sense of conscience. She expressed her concern over the pervasive mindset towards women, suggesting that the police, on seeing a woman, feel the need to suppress her, acting on whatever comes to mind.
Women in Pakistan, who have come out to protest the arrest of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, are being beaten up, sexually molested and tortured by police and army personnel. Shocking videos of brutality have been creating buzz on social media. The deplorable behaviour by the police has stirred nationwide outrage, underlining the urgency for police reforms and proper training in handling sensitive situations in a respectful and lawful manner.
