ISLAMABAD: Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi, chairman of the Pakistan Ulema Council (PUC), on Monday condemned harassment of a woman in the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore for wearing an Arabic-inscribed shirt and demanded the authorities take action against the harassers.
The woman, who wore a dress with Arabic calligraphy printed on it, was reportedly manhandled by an angry mob in Lahore’s Ichhra market on Sunday, with the mobsters alleging the woman’s dress bore verses from the Holy Qur’an.
Videos shared online showed the woman being sheltered in a shop, before a senior woman police officer, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Shehrbano Naqvi, arrives at the scene and rescues her to safety.
Ashrafi, who heads the PUC umbrella group of religious scholars and organizations, said the woman was subjected to verbal abuse and harassment by individuals who objected to the Arabic script on her attire, but investigation revealed that the script had no sacred connotations.
“Such acts of harassment not only violate the fundamental principles of Shariah (Islamic law), but also tarnish the image of Pakistan and Islam globally,” he said in a statement, calling for “swift and decisive” action against the perpetrators.
Blasphemy is an incendiary charge in deeply conservative, Muslim-majority Pakistan, where even unproven allegations of insulting Islam and its noted personalities can provoke death at the hands of vigilantes. Politicians have been assassinated, lawyers murdered and students lynched over such accusations.
In his statement, Ashrafi stressed that Islam promoted tolerance and respect for diversity, and any form of harassment or discrimination was against its teachings.
He said the incident had reignited discussions about the need for greater awareness and education regarding cultural and religious diversity in Pakistan, expressing solidarity with the woman.
The PUC chairman urged the government to take concrete steps to protect the rights and dignity of all citizens, adding the outcome of this case would have “far-reaching implications” for the country’s reputation and its efforts to promote a more inclusive and harmonious society.
He praised ASP Naqvi for defusing the potentially volatile situation surrounding the woman’s attire.
Separately, the Punjab police said the name of the woman officer had been recommended for the prestigious Quaid-e-Azam Police Medal for her “heroic deed.”
“ASP Syeda Shehrbano Naqvi, the brave SDPO of Gulbarg Lahore, put her life in danger to rescue a woman from a violent crowd,” the police department said, quoting Provincial Inspector-General Dr. Usman Anwar.
“For this heroic deed, the Punjab Police has recommended her name for the prestigious Quaid-e-Azam Police Medal (QPM), the highest gallantry award for law enforcement in Pakistan.”