In bid to help women, Punjab IGP orders setting up anti-harassment and violence cell

• The "anti-women harassment and violence cell" will ensure complainants receive response within 15 minutes, says IGP Ghani.
• Says lady police officers will be working as support officers in the cell.
• The Punjab Police have taken multiple steps in an effort to curb increasing incidents of violence against women.

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LAHORE: Incidents of violence against women have recently seen a surge in Lahore after a woman was assaulted at Minar-e-Pakistan by 400 men, while another woman was sexually harassed as she was sitting in a Qingqi rickshaw. In another harrowing incident, a mother-daughter duo was allegedly ganged-raped by a rickshaw driver in the city.

In the light of such incidents, the Punjab Police have taken multiple steps in an effort to curb them. To this end, Punjab Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Inam Ghani on Monday ordered setting up an "anti-women harassment and violence cell."

IGP Ghani issued the directives while chairing a conference via video link attended by regional police officials to discuss the increasing crime and violence against the women and ways to control it.

The "anti-women harassment and violence cell" will ensure a response is given to women’s complaints within 15 minutes, while lady police officers will be working as support officers in the cell, said IGP Ghani.

The police chief directed the concerned authorities to make the cell operational within a week.

IGP Ghani said that the deputy inspector general (DIG) operations will be monitoring the cell while DIG investigation will be ensuring quick probes into the cases.

“Subordinate cells of the anti-women harassment and violence cell will be operated under the central police offices and district police offices on a district level,” said the IGP.

Women Safety app by Punjab Police

A few days ago, IGP Ghani also introduced a "women's safety app" on behalf of Punjab Police and shared the download link of the application for smartphones via his Twitter handle.

"This app has been designed to provide quick response & help for women in emergency situations by pressing a panic button," said IGP's Twitter post.

The IGP also urged women to download the application and asked "gentlemen" to forward the download link it to every woman they knew.