LAHORE: A high-level inquiry ordered by Punjab IGP Mushtaq Sukhera has reportedly found the allegations of exploitation (sexual harassment) of under-training women sub-inspectors by the senior officials of their training college as totally baseless, defeating the attempt to sabotage the first-ever step by the provincial government to induct educated and highly-trained young people into the provincial police to improve its image.

Sources in the Punjab police told Dawn on Friday that the inquiry team had declared that the scandal was concocted and the result of “professional jealousy”.

It said contents of the scandal published in a section of the press were based on an anonymous (unsigned) letter and during the inquiry they were found to be baseless.

The inquiry committee was constituted by the IGP even after issuing a rebuttal to the media a day after the publication of the allegations. It was headed by Additional IGP Establishment Naseemuzzaman and comprised Punjab Constabulary Commandant Husain Asghar and SSP Akbar Nasir.

The IGP had categorically contradicted allegations on their second appearance in a section of the press. The rebuttal had said there was no formal complaint by any quarter regarding the sexual harassment of the women officers by the college administration including its commandant. However, he had offered an inquiry to impartially have the allegations checked.

Trainee SIs shattered by allegation

The rebuttal followed a statement attributed to the college deputy commandant, claiming the next day that the allegations earlier appeared in a column were true. When inquired by the IGP, the officer had reportedly denied that he had talked to any media person on the issue. He was asked to issue a contradiction which did not appear but he refrained from discussing the issue in media as directed by the IGP, sources said.

The allegations have certainly shaken the police department and created doubts about the integrity of the commandant and his team of officers and trainers selected exclusively by the IGP and the chief minister for the training of 411 young and highly-qualified officers including 76 women for their integrity and professionalism.

Four of the trainee officers are the children of martyred and 42 of the serving police officials. Around 151 are the children of government employees. They were selected by the Punjab Public Service Commission out of 70,000 applicants from all over the province. They were inducted on Aug 23 last year. One of them is a PhD and the women officers hold law, engineering, business administration and other professional degrees and had studied in leading universities in the country.

They are being given most modern international standard policing training that includes physical and mental fitness, crime investigation, medical jurisprudence, cyber crime, forensic science and law.

The passing out is expected to be attended by the prime minister in May this year following which the officers would undergo a three-month commando training at the Elite Police Training School, Lahore.

The force was inducted to change the police station culture and, sources said, the allegations had lowered the morale of the supervising and trainee officers. The induction of women was meant to give a message that police service was honourable but the allegations tarnished this image.

The allegations had also smeared the image of the country abroad as the force was noticed and praised by the international agencies like the United National Drug Control Agency.

Sources said the women trainee officers were so disturbed over the allegations that many of them gave a second thought to continuing with the service. They have sent letters to the chief minister, the IGP, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan and the Ombudsperson for action against those responsible for the smear campaign.

“In the past, no educated girl would think of joining the police. And now if a large number of them have opted for this, they require support from the authorities. Will anyone come forward and restore their confidence,” asked a senior officer, who requested anonymity.

He also sought a clean chit for the commandant and other trainers against whom the allegations have been found false. “They too have children. And if they are clean someone must declare it,” demanded another official.

Published in Dawn March 14th , 2015

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