Protest in Pak's Bahawalnagar after police disposed of rape complaint
Mar 31, 2021
Bahawalnagar [Pakistan], April 1 : A protest was staged in Bahawalnagar city of Pakistan's Punjab against the local police after it disposed of a rape complaint citing it is fake despite the initial medical report stating otherwise.
Among the protestors was the complainant, a mother of two children, who was reportedly raped by her influential landlord last year. She alleged that the Bakshan Khan police sided with the "rapist", Dawn reported.
The protest took place on Sunday during which the demonstrators demanded the inspector general of police to order an impartial inquiry into the incident.
The complainant flanked by other protesters from the village chanted slogans against the police demanding justice.
She said on the night of December 21, 2020, an influential landlord and resident of the same village, barged into her house when she was asleep with her children.
She alleged the suspect raped her at gunpoint and when locals gathered there after hearing her screams, he fled the scene, brandishing a weapon.
According to the complainant, the locals immediately called on emergency helpline 15 and informed Bakhshan Khan police about the incident, but were told to file a written complaint in the morning.
Some village residents in the protest regretted that the case was closed, and said they had even submitted an affidavit with the police, confirming the incident.
About the police's partiality during the investigation, they said the complainant would be told to sit on the ground, while the suspect and those accompanying him were seated in chairs.
Official statistics in Pakistan have revealed that at least 11 rape incidents are reported in the country every day, with over 22,000 cases reported to the police in the last six years.
However, only 77 of the accused have been convicted which comprises 0.3 per cent of the total figure, reported Geo News.
These statistics were obtained from the Police, Law, and Justice Commission of Pakistan, Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, the Women's Foundation, and provincial welfare agencies.
