MUZAFFARABAD: Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Inspector General of Police (IGP) Rana Abdul Jabbar on Thursday ordered the arrest of Thothal SHO Chaudhry Imran Ahmed,booked for allegedly harassing a British-Kashmiri woman, besides forming a team of senior officers to conduct a transparent investigation.

According to a police spokesperson, the IGP directed Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Poonch, Ch Sajjad, to ensure a fair inquiry and personally oversee the case.

However, the SHO, who was suspended on Tuesday, had already obtained pre-arrest bail from the district court and subsequently went into hiding, making immediate arrest impossible. The IGP has ordered police to trace and detain him without delay, the spokesperson said.

The alleged victim, Farkhanda Rehman, however, rejected the police inquiry committee and demanded a judicial investigation by a High Court judge.

Speaking at a press conference in Mirpur alongside Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JKJAAC) leaders, she accused the police of pressuring her to withdraw the case to shield their colleague.

Ms Rehman also claimed that Inspector Mehboob, posted at the Anti-Corruption Department, pressured her in both Pakistan and the UK to forgive the accused. She said she had already contacted the British High Commission due to safety concerns.

She said that she had been struggling to reclaim her property in Mirpur and sought police help.

Instead of summoning her to the station, SHO Imran picked her up in his car, harassed her, and later took her to his residence at gunpoint, where he drank alcohol and attempted to assault her.

She managed to escape but not before he attempted to remove her veil.

Ms Rehman accused the police of deliberately weakening the FIR by excluding charges like kidnapping, harassment, illegal weapon possession, and alcohol consumption.

She also criticized SSP Mirpur Khawar Ali for giving the accused an opportunity to escape.

She said “inaction” by police had compelled her to go public.

The JKJAAC leaders condemned the incident and demanded a judicial inquiry, immediate arrest of SHO Imran, and legal action against Inspector Mehboob.

They warned of mass protests if justice was denied. Assuring a fair inquiry, the police spokesperson urged public to avoid speculations.

Published in Dawn, February 28th, 2025