Minar-e-Pakistan harassment incident: CM Buzdar says culprits do not deserve leniency

• Punjab IGP apprises CM Buzdar about the progress of case probe.
• CM Buzdar seeks final investigation report by tomorrow.
• The case will soon be brought to its conclusion and justice will be served: CM.

LAHORE: Chief Minister Usman Buzdar Thursday urged Punjab Police to take action against culprits who harassed a woman at the Minar-e-Pakistan monument on Independence Day, instructing police to bring the case to its logical conclusion soon. 

Punjab Inspector General of the Police (IGP) Inam Ghani, during a meeting with the Punjab chief minister, revealed that some of the 400 individuals who have been booked for harassing a woman at Minar-e-Pakistan on Independence Day, have been arrested. 

The Punjab IG revealed this while briefing Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Usman Buzdar on the progress of the case.

CM Buzdar sought a final report on the incident tomorrow (Friday) and summoned a high-level meeting.

CM forms inquiry committees

Meanwhile, CM Buzdar formed a committee to probe the Parks & Horticulture Authority's (PHA) role in the incident. 

The committee will submit a report after investigating the responsibility and negligence of the PHA officials and staff members in the incident. 

Furthermore, the Punjab additional inspector general of police formed another committee to investigate the responsibility and negligence of the security personnel. 

He directed the concerned authorities to further the probe with modern scientific standards.

Declaring the Minar-e-Pakistan incident investigations "a test case", the chief minister said it will soon be brought to its logical conclusion.

He said the culprits do not deserve any leniency. 

"We will ensure that the victim gets justice,” he added.

Meanwhile, Punjab Police has expedited its search for other persons who can be seen in the video. 

The incident

In yet another terrifying episode of violence against women amid a rise in such incidences, a woman in Lahore's Greater Iqbal Park was assaulted by hundreds of men on August 14.

The victim, along with her friends, was making a TikTok video in the park when hordes of men of all ages climbed a fence and attacked the woman.

The victim told the police that the men groped her, tore off her clothes, beat her, and tossed her in the air. In addition, they robbed her of Rs15,000, snatched her mobile phone, and took off her gold ring and studs.

Out of hundreds of men, many of who just stood there and even made a video, only one person came to the woman's rescue and helped her get out of the park.

A case had been filed against 400 people on the victim's complaint.