National print and electronic media reported that a female hostess of Daewoo bus service, ferrying between Lahore and Sialkot, was abducted at gunpoint when, after performing her daylong duty, she was on her way back home on the bus company's vehicle in accompaniment of the driver and the security guard. As stated by her later, she was raped by drunken vagabonds in a deserted place.
Afterwards, the culprits threw her near her house. Media reports said that on getting intimation the Sialkot Police acted promptly, and apprehended one of the two culprits within six hours of the incident, registered an FIR and launched search operation for the absconder.
'Baidarie Sialkot', being a civil society organisation working for protection and promotion of the rights of women, held a special meeting for reviewing the situation and for taking up necessary steps for providing needed support to the survivor of the incident. On the initiative of Baidarie, the Sialkot based civil society organisations constituted a delegation to meet the District Police Officer of Sialkot.
The delegation, comprised Professor Arshid Mehmood Mirza, Ms Hina Noureen, Fazal Muhammad Khan, Shahzad Ahmad and Ms Ayesha Ashraf from Baidarie, Mirza Abul Shakoor and Ms Mehmooda Nazir from Community Development Concern Sialkot, Ms Waqar-un-Nisa from SHADE Sialkot, Dr Nasim Shakil from Women Rights protection Organisation, Ms Uzma & Ms Sadaf from Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Women Center and Arsalan Khan had a meeting with Waqar Ahmad Chohan, District Police Officer, Sialkot in his office on January 9, 2010.
The delegation termed the incident as the most unfortunate one, as in addition to injuring the honour and prestige of an innocent girl, it will fill her life with unending psychological trauma and undeserved stigmatisation to the extent of closing doors of normal family life for her.
Professor Arshid Mirza condemned the behaviour and conduct of Daewoo Bus Service, as it did not bother to get FIR registered on its own behalf. He said that no resistance was offered by the security guard and the driver of Daewoo's vehicle against abduction attempt.
This alluded to their possible support in the criminal act. Hence they should not be allowed to go scot free. Ms Hina Noureen said that the police should make such arrangements that the girl, her parents and/or the member of her family may not become target of harassment and retaliation by the perpetrators of violence and/or their accomplices.
The DPO said that he was satisfied with the way his force had acted to tackle the situation. He said that he himself was directly monitoring the search operation for arresting the absconder. The driver and security guard are also being interrogated and if found guilty they will also be nominated as accomplices in crime.
He assured that the case will be prepared in the most professional way in care of very competent police officers and within the shortest possible time it will be presented before the court of law so that the culprits may face the consequences of their wrong-doings.
The Sialkot based Civil Society Organisations agreed to form a support group that will keep close contact with the tortured girl, her family and the District Police office Sialkot for monitoring the proceedings of the case and provision of necessary support whenever and wherever it is needed.