Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar has said that though the remarks of Lahore CCPO Umar Sheikh regarding the victim of the Lahore motorway were unnecessary, they were not illegal.

While talking to a news channel, he said Sheikh's remarks were unnecessary as it is the right of every Pakistani to travel wherever they please, whenever they please. He said he does not agree with the CCPO's statement.

But, he asked what action can be taken against him. "Can we say you didn’t make a good statement and take action?" Umar said.

On Wednesday, two men raped a woman at gunpoint when she ran out of fuel near Lahore’s Gujjarpura and was waiting along with her children for help on the motorway.

The two men broke her car window and made her park on the roadside. They then took her and the children to a nearby forest and raped her. Later on, they robbed her of valuables which included Rs100,000 cash and jewelry.

CCPO Lahore Omar Shaikh blames victim for Motorway rape

The woman’s initial medical examination confirmed that she had been raped. Following the incident, Lahore's CCPO blamed the woman and said that she should have taken the GT Road route which has a population on both sides.

Prominent personalites on social media called him out for his victim-blaming and victim-shaming.