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TikToker Ayesha Akram, who was harassed and assaulted by over 400 men at Minar-e-Pakistan on Independence Day, has identified six out of 104 suspects arrested by the Lahore police.
The woman was taken to Camp Jail amid tight security. The identification parade was held in the presence of the judicial magistrate. The parade was supposed to be held on August 28 but was rescheduled to September 1 after the TikToker did not appear because of health issues.
Since August 21, 104 suspects have been sent to jail for identification. The men were identified through geofencing and facial recognition software. The police have been instructed to keep the court and prosecution team updated on the identification progress.
What actually happened?
The incident occurred on August 14 when hundreds of youngsters were celebrating Independence Day at the park. Police moved into action on Tuesday after videos of the episode went viral and sparked an outrage on social media.
According to the FIR of the incident, the complainant stated that she, along with six companions, was filming a video near Minar-i-Pakistan on Independence Day when around 300 to 400 people “attacked us”.
She said that she and her companions made a lot of effort to escape from the crowd. Observing the situation, the park’s security guard opened the gate to the enclosure around Minar-i-Pakistan, the FIR quoted her as saying.
“However, the crowd was huge and people were scaling the enclosure and coming towards us. People were pushing and pulling me to the extent that they tore my clothes. Several people tried to help me but the crowd was too huge and they kept throwing me in the air,” she said.
She further stated that her companions were also assaulted. During the struggle, her ring and earrings were “forcibly taken”, in addition to a mobile phone of one of her companions, his identity card and Rs15,000 that he had on his person.
Legal action
Sections 354A, 382, 147 and 149 of Pakistan Penal Code have been added to the First Information Report (FIR) of Minar-e-Pakistan assault case. The lawsuit includes provisions for tearing a woman’s clothes, theft, attempted murder, injuring, rioting and illegal mobs.
The DIG has directed the concerned Superintendent of Police (SP) to arrest all the suspects involved in the incident and take stern action against them. So far, the court has ordered an identity parade of 147 people for their alleged involvement in the incident.
Will the victim get justice?
All too often, the country is gripped with horror as gruesome crimes against women make national news. The Minar-i-Pakistan case has proved a trigger for many women who described on social media how they themselves were assaulted or how they feared they would sooner or later face a similar situation.
According to the medical report, there are 13 scratches on the girl’s body. A bunch of men attacked her and investigation is ongoing while police have yet to disclose the identity of the arrested suspect officially.
While the thorough investigation of these cases is very important, it must be supported by unambiguous messaging by members of our government that such actions will be punished.
