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LAHORE: Police on Monday registered a case against around 100 unidentified men for allegedly harassing women workers of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) during its anti-corruption rally on The Mall a day earlier.
The victims told police that after the rally some 50 to 100 men forced their entry into the pavilion reserved for women activists and started harassing them.
Private news channels broadcast the incident live when women participants started exchanging harsh words with men for entering their pavilion. The law-enforcement agencies and rally’s administration tried to pacify the matter but to no avail.
Earlier, on April 24 in Islamabad some male participants had broken protective walls and entered the women side and harassed them. Women were also harassed last year in Multan during a PTI meeting for by-election after Javed Hashmi resigned from his seat.
PTI Chairman Imran Khan had on April 25 tendered apology over harassment of women supporters at the party’s foundation day rally in the federal capital.
Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah on a news channel said Imran Khan might be included in the investigation against those who harassed women supporters in Sunday’s rally.
He said the management of PTI’s Sunday rally would also be quizzed.
Mr Sanaullah said over 50 alleged culprits had been identified with the help of footage acquired through various sources. “If Imran can organise rallies, he should also provide security to women,” he added.
Asked if the suspects were part of PML-N, he said, “We will surely find out to which party they belong.”
“If they belong to PML-N, we will be responsible. However, if they are PTI supporters, Imran Khan will be held answerable,” the law minister said.
Civil Lines police registered a case against 50 to 100 unidentified participants under sections 147 (punishment for rioting), 149 (unlawful assembly), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 294 (whoever, to the annoyance of others, does any obscene act in any public place, or sings, recites or utters any obscene songs, ballads or words) of Pakistan Penal Code against unidentified suspects.
Police also made video clips of the event to identify the suspects and arrest them.
Published in Dawn, May 3rd, 2016
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Comments (52) Closed
May 03, 2016 10:20am
Don' t change the subject law minister sb follow FIFO method first in first out mean first answer about the corruption allegation then you can go for the next by the way can u tell us daily how many women facing the harassing sitution
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May 03, 2016 10:27am
and they want to make Goveronment...No ethics, No manners and no political training at all. have never seen a professional white paper from PTI addressing the Issue facing by the nation. Just using the people ignorance to get in to power.
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May 03, 2016 10:35am
its government job to provide everyone security.
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May 03, 2016 10:41am
if the footage is available, how is it possible that the culprits have not been identified. Its simple; extract facial images and ask the public to report who they are. This is how it happens in the UK. Public support can reveal the identities.
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May 03, 2016 10:43am
Its shows that PTI rallys are just a crowd of people with no disclipine, objectivity, decency and respect for women.
JI and MQM jalsas are the most organised and decent.
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May 03, 2016 10:57am
I think this was a deliberate attempt by hired peoples with purpose to undermine the ever increasing popularity of Imran & his party in Punjab. What a shame
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May 03, 2016 11:02am
pretty soon chotoo will reveal the truth , wait and watch.
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May 03, 2016 11:10am
I just saw the video of female-harrasing .So shameful.Cant believe my eyes .
Is this the change they have been talking about ??? Shame Shame.
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May 03, 2016 11:22am
Noora league's cheap tactics
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May 03, 2016 11:34am
This is nothing new. PTI has in its ranks a lot of young people who have no concern for any morality and dignity of others. It has happened in the past in PTI rallies and it has happened again, and it will happen in future as well. This is the "Naya Pakistan" which PTI will bring. These youth will just run riot if PTI gets the reigns of the government.
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May 03, 2016 11:40am
a good step. these goons should be punished. a crime does not belong to any political party...these are individuals who thought they can get away with anything (a general mindset of Pakistani public)
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May 03, 2016 11:45am
Who is responsible for killing innocent men and women in Model town, Lahore. Would you catch them Mr. Rana Sanaullah???
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May 03, 2016 11:54am
Congratulations for Naya Pakistan.
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May 03, 2016 12:09pm
This is shame. In our country women are not save despite segregation of gender. In European countries, there is no segregation of gender but still those events don't happen.
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May 03, 2016 12:12pm
Even if now punjab police fails to arrest all these 100 individuals, with tv footages capturing the faces of all those people , it will clearly prove that Pmln had something to do with it.
In order to prove otherwise, Punjab police has no other option but to arrest all of them.
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May 03, 2016 12:20pm
Who is protecting PTI women... The NS government...
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May 03, 2016 12:20pm
So, the honourable law minister thinks that if those goons are not from his party then he cannot held responsile!
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May 03, 2016 12:30pm
there are many clips surfacing..from pti rally molesting women ...women should completely boycott pti rallies unless they have separate setup..i have been attending jamat rallies and later saw mqm and even ppp rallies..this is never seen..its pathetic disgusting and inhumane
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May 03, 2016 12:58pm
As much as it angers me to read these sexual harassment stories, I dont understand why these women dance in the middle of strangers? (especially in PTI rallies) No it's their fault they can do whatever they like but keep one thing in mind Pakistan is sexually repressed and frustrated society you cannot expect strange men to behave themselves at such crowded events.
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May 03, 2016 01:41pm
@samunderkerang So if Women dance in public does it make it legal or moral for Men to harass them. Brilliant man.
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May 03, 2016 01:43pm
@samunderkerang, yes it's unfortunate and on some points I agree with you. But you cannot dictate women what to do and what not to do. If men can dance on streets why can't women? If men can have fun why can't women? It's the duty of our law enforcment agencies to protect every citizen. It's people like you who set boundries, make comments and haras woman so that they cannot participate in anything. It's really good to see woman waking up for their rights. I can sense change coming soon and people like you will be disappointed.
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May 03, 2016 01:51pm
@samunderkerang Those women violated any law? No they didn't, while those men did, but again you are still blaming the women. It's like saying Taliban are savages so they should be allowed to kill people because that's how their primitive mind works. What about a Naya Pakistan, where women can dance without behind being harassed?
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May 03, 2016 02:40pm
"If they belong to PML-N, we will be responsible. However, if they are PTI supporters, Imran Khan will be held answerable"
What a dumb thing to say. Rana Sanaullah is Home Minister for PML-N or Punjab province. Does he get paid by the party or through public funds ? Does he enjoy luxuries being public servant or as crony of PMLN ?
What a misery on people of Punjab. He's so ignorant of his basic responsibilities. If he can't provide fundamental protection to people in the city I wonder what is the there for...but then again.
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May 03, 2016 02:42pm
@Asif
I found one of your comments quite amusing "It's the duty of our law enforcement agencies to protect every citizen."
They are indeed a part of our society and don't descend from heaven or any other planet. They have more or less same ethical and moral values toward women as majority of us have.
We males consider such act of women immoral and feel obliged to harass them.
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May 03, 2016 02:52pm
I used o take my wife to PTI rally but not now. Decent families avoid PTI gatherings
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May 03, 2016 03:06pm
@samunderkerang but it's anwomen only enclosure. Men should be entering those areas. Do not blame the women, but the men.
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May 03, 2016 03:08pm
“If they belong to PML-N, we will be responsible. However, if they are PTI supporters, Imran Khan will be held answerable,” the law minister said.
Let's have it fair, if PTI then IK but if PML-N then Nawaz Sharif , Shabaz Sharif and Pervaiz Rasheed. Deal or no deal.
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May 03, 2016 03:21pm
Change is evident. Isn't?
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May 03, 2016 03:21pm
I suspect pmln is involved. Their very existence is at stake and one should expect anything from them. People should investigate on their own and if the culprits are from pti then the leaders should ponder and do something about it.
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May 03, 2016 03:28pm
Dear Pakistani Men, Learn some Manners , Treat Women Well. and request to Women's that please don't go to Crowded places as you know any things can happen to you. if you still want to go to such pleases then bear such circumstances and don't EXCUSE.
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May 03, 2016 03:29pm
Although I hate MQM for its policy of using violence against its opponents, I however admire their awsome discipline especially the way they manage their events widly participated by women and children. You would not find any indecent act against ladies in any of the event. PTI should learn from them.
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May 03, 2016 03:31pm
In past all PTI gatherings and rallies were ok and peaceful, but all of a sudden after Noon came in Govt. PTI rallies started harassing women?, Seems dubious, doesn't it?
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May 03, 2016 03:37pm
This is so unfortunate. PTI needs to do something about it urgently otherwise families will not attend its rallies in future. PMLN also needs to avoid point scoring on this issue and take strict action against the culprits.
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May 03, 2016 03:37pm
If according to Justice Baquirs report PML-N leaders were responsible for the Lahore Model Town incident when 18 innocent including women and children were murdered.......is it not possible that PML-N engineered this incident as well ?
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May 03, 2016 03:39pm
This says a lot about the organizing committee of PTI, consequently about PTI.
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May 03, 2016 03:49pm
@Muzzamil. Such happens there as well but peacefully and calmly.
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May 03, 2016 03:50pm
These women have fathers brothers husbands sons if they dont mind them attending and dancing who is anyone else to complain?
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May 03, 2016 04:04pm
This is mismanagement by PTI. Indeed many people go at PTI rally to see girls/women and try to sneeze in the opportunity to come near them. PTI needs to do something here. I myself hear many times whenever there is PTI jalsa that lets go as there would be many women and girls to watch. sick mentality but that is how it goes. someone said it right 'Now decent families avoid PTI gatherings'
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May 03, 2016 04:26pm
@salman Come On! try to do some thing new boy!............PTA actually teach their supporters the lesson of accusation!
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May 03, 2016 04:31pm
Most of the guys attending the PTI jalsa's are not even PTI supporters, they just come for partying !
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May 03, 2016 04:40pm
The only party's Jalsa having discipline is MQM. Though im not supporting them, but its the reality which we all must admit.
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May 03, 2016 04:53pm
This is the Tribal mentality prevailing within PTI ranks.
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May 03, 2016 05:05pm
It was well reported by Media before the event that PMLN has organised to send in the intruders to sabotage, they couldnt do it while the event was on, but soon after it finished they stormed in and done what they are paid to do.
These operatives must have some women at home, shameless attitude of a political party to use such dirty tactics.
One thing for sure, even with PTI women sitting at home, PTI youth will still have enough strength to stage any protest against Sharifs! So this will not work when people know the truth about Sharifs and people have every right to protest against them!
Its not a kingdom nor a dictatorship, so embrace democracy and its norms!
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May 03, 2016 05:10pm
@Abdulla Hussain sir recheck imrans popularity is declining fast in Punjab. Why else would he hold a rally at chairing cross instead at minar e Pakistan. The crowd was all time time low and is a referendum on PTI policies
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May 03, 2016 05:10pm
@salman stop blaming others for your mismanagement and ills, a typical PTI trait.
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May 03, 2016 05:56pm
@Safwan I agree with you in principle
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May 04, 2016 05:45pm
@Dasti go to their party page and see the white papers.
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May 04, 2016 06:09pm
@Dasti, sir people have video evidence of involvement of PMLN workers!
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May 04, 2016 06:17pm
Must be PML-N people who are harassing. They must be charged under new Women's rights law.
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May 04, 2016 08:07pm
Be it any political party it seems that the workers response to food and women are no less than animals. Its not the party its our national mindset. No one is focusing towards social transformation, which is the core issue of our nation. Corruption, Terrorism, Extremism, Harassment, e.t.c. are the post fact causes of our social plight. You cant the put out oil fire with water; You need to choke the air that feeds the fire to extinguish the flame.
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May 04, 2016 09:56pm
This unethical move by PMLN just to stop women entry in PTI rally. Not for any other ill reasons, every male member of Pakistan respect to women.
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May 04, 2016 10:47pm
This is to divert attention from Panama Papers.
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