What can you do if you end up getting harassed by police?

Harassment faced by women is not a new phenomenon. Neither is it limited to one economic background, social group or country because women all across the world have faced harassment at some point in their lives. It is only now that women have finally had it with centuries of gendered oppression and are reclaiming their rightful space in the public discourse.

In Pakistan, too, women are now finding their voice to talk about the disgusting behavior they suffer, sometimes at the hands of those who are supposed to protect them. One such incident of this girl from Lahore is making noise.

This girl from Lahore was traveling to Islamabad when she shared how she was harassed by the police itself

Lamia Nasir, the owner of Lamia’s Patisserie, was traveling from Lahore to Islamabad when she made a stop at a rest area. Two men, took it to themselves, to make Lamia uncomfortable by catcalling her. Unable to ignore the ‘creeps’, Lamia lashed out at them. The men left soon after but not before trying to make Lamia and her sister uncomfortable ‘again’.

Immediately after the harassers had left, Lamia called Rescue 15 Lahore and explained the whole situation to them. She was then directed to contact Motorway Police who proved to be absolutely amazing throughout the whole case. Inspector Haroon handled the case himself and no long after they were contacted, The two men were stopped and the case was, then, proceeded further.

After she had reported the two men she was, sadly, subjected to calls and harassed by a police official from Rescue 15

After the case was handled by the Motorway Police, Lamia says that an official from Rescue 15 Police began harassing her on the same contact from which she had called to make the complaint initially. The person, then proceeded, to call and text her repeatedly to which she blocked him.

However, This did not STOP him and she began getting calls from unknown numbers.

Lamia’s post received massive support and other women stepped forward to share similar experiences

After her post, People stepped forward to support and offer advice to Lamia with some people stepping forward to share their terrible experiences with the police.

Although awful, such cases are no shock for the public and have become a norm in our society where the protectors are also the harassers

Despite being a serious offense, harassment is taken way too lightly and is often joked about in our country. The recent comments by the CCPO Lahore over the motorway incident are just the tip of the iceberg. This is a much bigger issue than one person or department when the culture of a country protects harassers and allows them to be let off scot free.

For cases like such to become an absolute rarity, the perpetrators must be dealt with great seriousness. There need to be institutional reforms, especially within the police service in Pakistan. Sensitivity training needs to be made compulsory for all men and more women need to be given jobs at all levels so that men can learn how to behave around them. It’s only through widespread reformative education that we can truly curb harassment and violence against women.

As far as Lamia is concerned, kudos to her for standing up for herself and stepping forward with her story which she shared here.

How I Was Slut-shamed By The Law Enforcement Of Pakistan Because I’m A Woman

Cover image via express.pk