The Lahore High Court expressed strong dissatisfaction with IG Punjab Usman Anwar over the delayed response to incidents of harassment of female students in educational institutions. During a hearing on Friday, the Chief Justice of Lahore High Court questioned IG Anwar’s actions, particularly his department's failure to prevent a viral video from inciting protests. The Chief Justice remarked, “Where were you on the 14th and 15th of October? Why didn’t you stop the video from going viral and prevent the students from taking to the streets?” IG Anwar, summoned by the court, defended his actions, explaining that they contacted the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) and the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) immediately after becoming aware of the viral content. However, the Chief Justice remained unimpressed, pointing out that the video had already spread across more than 700 social media accounts before any action was taken.

“You wake up when everything is burnt. Why didn’t you act sooner?” the Chief Justice added. The court further criticized the failure to shut down websites that were hosting the viral content, despite requests sent by the authorities. The Chief Justice noted that platforms such as TikTok, Facebook, and X (formerly Twitter) still had the offensive material available, calling it a clear failure on the part of the police and PTA. The court has ordered IG Punjab to provide a detailed account of his department’s actions on October 14th and 15th, demanding answers as to why the situation was allowed to escalate without intervention. The hearing has reignited a broader conversation about the responsibilities of law enforcement and digital authorities in preventing and controlling incidents of harassment, especially in educational institutions.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan