LHC summons top officials in rape case
Pakistan
A rape occurs every 15 minutes in Punjab, report
LAHORE (Muhammad Ashfaq) – The Lahore High Court has summoned the Attorney General, Advocate General, Prosecutor General, and IG Punjab again in a rape case.
A three-member bench, headed by Lahore High Court Justice Aalia Neelum, heard the bail application of Wajid Ali, arrested on rape charges.
The bench also included Justice Farooq Haider and Justice Ali Zia Bajwa. Upon the court’s orders, Advocate General Punjab Khalid Ishaq, Prosecutor General Punjab Syed Farhad Ali Shah, and IG Punjab, along with FIA officers, appeared in the court.
During the hearing, Chief Justice Aalia Neelum inquired why the Attorney General, who had been summoned, had not appeared. She said that this is a national issue, and the Attorney General should have been present.
In response, Advocate General Punjab Khalid Ishaq informed the court that since the Anti-Rape Act was enacted, 150,000 cases had been registered.
Justice Ali Zia Bajwa remarked that according to their report, a rape occurs every 15 minutes in Punjab, and by their account, Pakistan has surpassed India, which is ranked third, with a rape occurring every 15 minutes there as well.
The Advocate General Punjab clarified that not all these cases are related to rape and that women are appointed at every center in Punjab for such cases. He stated that many flaws had been addressed following court orders, and the media exaggerated the number of rape cases in Pakistan.
Justice Ali Zia Bajwa responded that action should be taken against those who file false rape cases.
The chief justice remarked that according to the report, rape cases are the highest in number, followed by drug and murder cases. She noted that the Anti-Rape Act had not been fully implemented and must be read before filing a case.
Justice Aalia Neelum mentioned that 30% of rape cases are falsely filed, and suggested adding a column for trauma in the investigation form for gender-based violence cases. She acknowledged that IG Punjab had done good work in handling rape cases but stressed the need for better training for officers to investigate these cases.
During the hearing, Prosecutor General Punjab Farhad Ali Shah referred to various sections, stating that police officers below the 17 grade cannot investigate these cases.
The chief justice engaged in a dialogue with the Advocate General, expressing concerns about the rising incidents of rape, to which the Advocate General responded that efforts were being made to deal with rape cases according to the law.
IG Punjab Dr Usman Anwar informed the court that a virtual police station had been set up with the help of the Safe City Authority, where women affected by rape can file complaints via email, call, or WhatsApp. He added that 2,100 women had been recruited and specially trained, and 880 investigation officers had been hired.
Justice Farooq Haider remarked that some amendments to the rules may be necessary, urging the Advocate General to inform the government. He suggested that IG Punjab, Advocate General Punjab, and FIA meet to address the shortcomings in the rules.
Later, the Lahore High Court summoned the Attorney General, Advocate General, Prosecutor General, and IG Punjab again for Feb 10.
