Punjab Police arrest young man for allegedly harassing woman, sending her rape threats

LAHORE: A young man has been arrested over allegations of harassing a girl and sending her rape threats, while his father has been arrested for 'thuggery', Punjab Information and Culture Minister Fayyaz-ul-Hasan Chohan said Thursday.

Speaking in a press conference alongside Lahore's Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Umar Shaikh, Chohan said Prime Minister Imran Khan ordered the suspect be immediately arrested after he was informed about reports that the boy was engaged in the harassment and stalking of a young girl who lives in Lahore.

"People avoid stepping forward to avoid humiliation," the provincial minister said, referring to the problems that women have to face when reporting cases of sexual harassment, as well as rape and death threats.

Chohan said government officials needed to change their style of pursuing such investigations.

He disclosed that the family of the girl had registered a cyber crime case against the suspect almost a year ago. "Three days ago, a video of the girl being harassed went viral on social media," he said.

"The suspect was threatening the family even two days ago," he added.

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Chohan told media that the chief minister had ordered the boy be arrested within 24 hours after a video allegedly of the suspect went viral on social media. The minister said he conveyed CM Buzdar's orders to the Lahore CCPO.

"The boy who was harassing the girl has been arrested and his father has also been arrested. The boy was arrested from Rawalpindi and his father from Lahore.

"Both were bullying and acting like thugs," Chohan added.

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Social media users called on police to arrest the suspect after the girl spoke up about the harassment and violent threats she received from him. Screenshots, audio and video clips allegedly of the suspect threatening to harm her went viral on social media.

Users spoke up about how the suspect was "harassing and threatening to kill/rape [the woman] and her family".

"Please note that it’s a court case that has been going on for more than 3 years now. There’s an FIR against him too but the case is pending yet," one user said on Twitter. "The police hasn’t cooperated until the case got highlighted on social media.

"The boy has moved to Islamabad a few months back," the user had written, warning in a new update a few days ago that the alleged harasser and his father were planning to escape to Dubai after he was called out on social media.