Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Operations Lahore Muhammad Faisal Kamran has directed police officials to ensure that no woman remains at a police station after Maghrib.
The instruction applies to both complainants and accused women and was issued during a crime-control meeting with officers of the City Division.
The DIG also directed police personnel to treat women with respect, saying the measure was intended to protect their dignity amid growing concerns over crimes against women in the city.
However, critics have questioned the decision, arguing that law enforcement agencies should focus on making police stations safe for women instead of limiting their presence after sunset.
The directive comes after a Lahore Police assistant sub-inspector was arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting a 19-year-old woman with a mental health condition in the Ghaziabad area.
According to police, the woman left her home and did not return for several hours, prompting her family to begin searching for her. A local resident later told the family that a plainclothes police official had taken her away on a motorcycle.
The victim later alleged that ASI Imran took her to another location and sexually assaulted her.
Police registered an FIR against the accused officer. DIG Investigation Syed Zeeshan Raza ordered the immediate registration of the case and directed officials to conduct the investigation transparently, impartially, and strictly on merit.
Following the incident, 78 police officers were also suspended.
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has repeatedly described the protection of women and children as her “red line.”
She has also directed police to respond within 15 minutes whenever a woman calls the emergency helpline 15 and to register an FIR within 24 hours.
Get the latest news and stories wherever you prefer.
Add ProPakistani to Preferred Sources and see more of our stories in Google Search and Top Stories.
Shares
