Punjab Govt Forms Committee To Probe PTI's Allegation Of Mistreatment Of Women Prisoners

PTI Chairman Imran Khan had claimed that party supporters were facing "molestation and harassment" and urged Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial to intervene and address the issue.

LAHORE: (UrduPoint/UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News-May 29th, 2023) Punjab Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi has set up a two-member committee to investigate allegations raised by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) regarding the mistreatment of its female supporters in prisons following the May 9 acts of vandalism.

PTI Chairman Imran Khan had claimed that party supporters were facing "molestation and harassment" and urged Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial to intervene and address the issue.

Among the PTI workers arrested for their involvement in the May 9 violence, several women are included. While CM Naqvi initially asserted that women were being treated in accordance with the law, he has now formed a committee to probe the matter.

According to available details, the committee, comprising Deputy Commissioner (DC) Lahore Rafia Haider and Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Investigation Anoosh Masood, will visit Kot Lakhpat jail and hold discussions with the prisoners.

Earlier, CM Naqvi had dismissed PTI's allegations of mistreatment of women in prisons as mere propaganda. He disclosed that 32 women were arrested, with only 11 of them remaining in jail presently. The chief minister emphasized the government's duty to ensure the safety of "mothers and sisters."

Furthermore, in an interview, SSP Masood rejected all claims of "inappropriate treatment" of female prisoners. She reiterated that a team of female police officers handles the arrests of women suspects/accused, who are then kept under custody in a women's police station staffed entirely by females.

The SSP further emphasized that male staff members are strictly prohibited from entering the area where women prisoners are held.