The Lahore High Court expressed strong discontent with IG Punjab Usman Anwar regarding the slow response to harassment incidents involving female students in educational institutions.
During today’s hearing, the Chief Justice questioned IG Anwar’s actions, specifically highlighting his department’s failure to prevent a viral video that sparked protests. The Chief Justice asked, “Where were you on the 14th and 15th of October? Why didn’t you take action to stop the video from going viral and prevent the students from protesting?”
IG Anwar, who was summoned by the court, defended his actions by stating that his department reached out to the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) and the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) as soon as they became aware of the viral content.
However, the Chief Justice remained unimpressed, noting that the video had already been shared on over 700 social media accounts before any action was taken. “You only react when things have already escalated. Why didn’t you act sooner?” he remarked.
The court also criticized the failure to shut down websites hosting the viral content, despite requests made by the authorities. The Chief Justice pointed out that platforms like TikTok, Facebook, and X (formerly Twitter) still contained the offensive material, labeling this as a clear failure on the part of both the police and the PTA.
The court has mandated IG Punjab to provide a detailed account of his department’s actions on October 14th and 15th, demanding explanations for allowing the situation to escalate without intervention.
This hearing has reignited discussions about the responsibilities of law enforcement and digital authorities in preventing and addressing harassment incidents, particularly in educational settings.
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