Welcome Shehrbano Naqvi, the Gulberg Circle ASP as a hero who protected a young girl wearing a dress with Arabic calligraphy printed on it from a crowd attack in Ichra Bazar, Lahore. Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Syed Asim Munir also lauded ASP for her selfless devotion to duty.
A furious crowd gathered outside a shop in Ichra Bazaar of Lahore after someone alleged that a girl’s shirt had Quranic verses printed on it. She sought refuge in a nearby shop. Most of the individuals in the crowd were either customers, visitors, or passersby. The garment traders who gave shelter to the girl were aware of the calligraphy print. Despite the traders’ explanation, the irritated crowd asserted a blasphemy charge.
The girl’s outfit had the word Halwa printed in Arabic letters on it, meaning beautiful or sweet in Arabic. Upon receiving information about the incident, the Punjab Police led by ASP arrived at the scene and took the girl into their custody, saving her from the angry crowd.
A video clip that went viral on social media, presented the young girl hiding herself in a shop and shivering with fear. In a video shared by the Punjab police on X, the ASP was visibly rescuing the girl from the bazaar while a crowd flung abuses in the background. Another video showed her addressing the mob, urging them to trust the police while convincing them that no blasphemous act had been committed.
Talking to the media, ASP provided details on how the incident unfolded. “At 1:30 pm, we received a call that a blasphemous act took place in Ichra market,” she said, adding that the caller mentioned that a girl was wearing an inappropriate dress with calligraphy that seemed to be Quranic verses.
Upon arriving at the scene, the female police officer said, a charged mob had gathered around the shop where the girl was. There, it emerged that the girl was very scared and the mob was religiously charged. It was a critical moment. I had to act swiftly to ensure the safety of the girl and prevent any harm from coming to her, she stated, emphasizing the urgency of the situation.
The police official further stated that the calligraphy on the woman’s clothes did not bear Quranic verses. It was a tense situation, but we had to maintain control and ensure the safety of everyone involved. Her decisive actions have garnered widespread praise, with the chief of Punjab Police Dr. Usman Anwar advocating an honorary award for her abundant courage and bravery.
Our dear homeland has significant religious populations, including Muslims, Christians, Hindus, Sikhs, and Buddhists, who live in urban as well as rural areas across the nation. The country has witnessed a sharp rise in religious narrow-mindedness and incidents of target killings, misuse of blasphemy laws, lynching, and personal vendettas including abusing the entire community and targeting places of worship.
Such unyielding manners show collective social disorder, ignorance of religion, and an abuse of religious teaching, which categorically asks the preservation of each other’s rights, and stresses peaceful coexistence and respect for weak and marginalized segments of society.
Generally, Pakistani political institutions and the criminal justice system failed to address serious societal issues, despite the repeated occurrence of crowd violence one after the other in recent years. Although, the government and parliament admit this serious issue but failed to address this problem acceptably so far.
It is high time for reforms in the education, social, and criminal justice systems along with enforcement of rigorous steps to curb growing militancy, and extremism through awareness campaigns, and stern punishment of the offenders. Religious institutes can play a pivotal role in reducing radicalism and prejudice.
