LAHORE: Punjab police will set up anti-harassment and violence cells in all provincial districts amid a surge in violent crimes against women in the province, the capital city police officer has said, as a provincial monitor revealed it had received 14,307 complaints of violence against women just this year.
Punjab, Pakistan’s richest and most populous province, has been in the news in recent weeks for crimes against women, including the public assault of a woman at Lahore’s Minar-e-Pakistan monument and the gang rape of a mother and her daughter by a rickshaw driver and his accomplices.
Both incidents have led to widespread public outrage and calls on authorities to ensure the safety of women in public places.
This Monday, Punjab Inspector General Inam Ghani announced at a meeting that anti-harassment and violence cells would be set up across the province and would work under the supervision of city police officers (CPOs) and district police officers (DPOs).
On Tuesday, Lahore Capital City Police Officer Ghulam Mehmood Dogar told Arab News the cells, which would function as reporting centers for crimes, would become operational in “the next few days.”
“We are setting up cells where people can go physically for the registration of their complaints,” he said, adding that the first such center was being set up in Lahore’s Defense Housing Authority while another would be set up at Liberty Chowk within the next two weeks.
“These cells will be equipped with victim counsellors as well, who would play their part in pacifying victims and fulfilling their psychological needs,” Dogar added. “We already have six gender crime cells operational in Lahore, but these are dedicated to investigation of cases concerning harassment and violence against women. The new anti-women harassment cells will work in coordination with these six gender crime cells.”
Dogar said the cells would be centralized and have a one-window operation, where all cases would be monitored for police action and investigation.
The Punjab Commission on Status of Women (PCSW), a statutory body of the Punjab police, told Arab News it had received 14,307 complaints of rape, torture, violence, and harassment of women between January and August this year, showing an average of 1,836 complaints every month.
Of the 14,307 cases, 285 involved murder, kidnapping, abduction and rape, 1,776 workplace and cyber harassment, 2,344 domestic violence, 1,656 property inheritance, 7,149 denial to health and education, and 1,097 divorce, khula and custody of minors, senior PCSW legal executive Imran Qureshi said.
He appreciated the initiative to establish anti-women harassment cells in Punjab but questioned the efficacy of the centers in the absence of special training for police.
“There is no training mechanism available in the province, policemen are not equipped with information kits and other resources to do their jobs realistically,” Qureshi said, saying PCSW held special training of policemen in February and March to help them deal with cases related to women.
But Lahore Deputy Inspector General Investigation Shariq Kamal said women police would work as victim support officers (VPOs) at the newly established centers to ensure their efficacy.
“A special unit of women police personnel will provide all possible support to affected women,” he said, adding that there would be a VPO in each case, appointed based on the nature of the crime.
Pakistan’s Punjab sets up special centers to counter harassment, violence against women
https://arab.news/r6bsc
Pakistan’s Punjab sets up special centers to counter harassment, violence against women
- Lahore Capital City Police Officer says anti-harassment and violence cells to become operational in “next few days”
- Punjab Commission on Status of Women received 14,307 rape, torture, violence, and harassment complaints between January-August
IPL chiefs in talks about restart following India-Pakistan ceasefire— reports
- Indian Premier League was suspended for a week on Friday after tensions spiked between India, Pakistan
- There are 12 regular season games remaining to be played followed by three playoff matches and the final
NEW DELHI: India cricket board officials were reported to be meeting Sunday to discuss a quick resumption of the IPL, following India and Pakistan agreeing a ceasefire in their deadly border conflict.
Nuclear-armed neighbors India and Pakistan called a halt to hostilities on Saturday and Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Devajit Saikia told website cricbuzz they were “closely monitoring the evolving situation.”
Saikia added they will “take a call on IPL resumption after consulting all stakeholders of IPL and the concerned government authorities.”
Rajeev Shukla, vice president of the BCCI, told Indian media that officials would meet on Sunday to decide the future course of action.
The Indian Premier League was on Friday suspended for a week, a day after a match between Punjab Kings and Delhi Capital was abandoned in Dharamsala, less than 200 kilometers (125 miles) from the northern city of Jammu, where explosions were reported hours earlier.
A special train was arranged for players to return to Delhi on Friday as airspace was closed, while overseas stars began to head home on Saturday.
Teams on Sunday were reported to be contacting their overseas players and coaching staff about returning, with website ESPNcricinfo saying the IPL could restart around May 15 if given the go-ahead by the government.
There are 12 regular season games remaining to be played followed by three playoff matches and the final, originally scheduled for May 25.
India and Pakistan have fought two of their three full-scale wars over Kashmir, a disputed territory that both claim in full but administer separate portions of since gaining independence from British rule in 1947.
New Delhi launched missile strikes on Wednesday morning in retaliation for a deadly attack on tourists in Indian-run Kashmir two weeks ago that India blames on Pakistan.
Islamabad has denied any involvement.
At least 60 people have been killed on both sides of the border since Wednesday, in the worst violence in decades between the South Asian neighbors.
FACTBOX: The Himalayan region of Kashmir, at the heart of India-Pakistan enmity
- Kashmir has been site of several wars and diplomatic standoffs between India and Pakistan
- India accuses Pakistan of arming and training militants, an allegation Islamabad has denied
NEW DELHI: India and Pakistan agreed to stop firing along their border on Saturday, bringing an end to the escalated tensions between the two arch-rivals after multiple
strikes were launched against military bases.
The Muslim-majority Himalayan region of Kashmir, which is claimed in full by both India and Pakistan, has been the site of several wars and diplomatic standoffs.
Here is a look at the region, its history, and why it continues to be a source of tension between the two countries:
PARTITION AND ACCESSION
After partition of the subcontinent in 1947 following independence from British rule, Kashmir was expected to become part of Pakistan, as with other Muslim-majority regions.
Its Hindu ruler wanted it to stay independent but, faced with an invasion by Muslim tribesmen from Pakistan, acceded to India in October 1947 in return for help against the invaders.
GEOGRAPHY AND DEMOGRAPHICS
Kashmir ended up divided among Hindu-majority India, which governs the Kashmir Valley, Jammu and Ladakh; Islamic Pakistan, which controls Azad Kashmir (“Free Kashmir“) and the Northern Areas; and China, which holds the Aksai Chin region. Indian-administered Kashmir has a population of around 7 million, of whom nearly 70 percent are Muslim.
ARTICLE 370
A provision of the Indian constitution, Article 370, provided for partial autonomy for Jammu and Kashmir. It was drafted in 1947 by the then-prime minister of the state, Sheikh Abdullah, and accepted by India’s first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru. Although intended as temporary, it was included in India’s Constitution in 1949 by the constituent assembly.
WARS AND MILITARY STANDOFFS
India and Pakistan have fought three wars since independence, two of them over Kashmir in 1947 and 1965. A third in 1971 led to the creation of Bangladesh. In 1999, they clashed again in the Kargil region in what was described as an undeclared war. A UN-brokered ceasefire line, the Line of Control, now divides the region.
THE INSURGENCY
Many Muslims in Indian Kashmir have long resented what they see as heavy-handed rule by India. In 1989, that bubbled over into an insurgency by Muslim separatists. India poured troops into the region and tens of thousands of people have been killed.
India accuses Pakistan of arming and training militants, which Islamabad denies, saying it offers only moral and diplomatic support.
REVOKING OF SPECIAL STATUS
In August 2019, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Indian government revoked Kashmir’s semi-autonomous status in a move it said would better integrate the region with the rest of India. The state was reorganized into two federally administered union territories — Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh. Pakistan strongly objected, downgrading diplomatic ties.
RECENT YEARS
Modi says his 2019 decision brought normality to Kashmir after decades of bloodshed. Violence has tapered off in recent years, according to Indian officials, with fewer large-scale attacks and rising tourist arrivals. Targeted killings of civilians and security forces are still reported, however.
2024 ELECTIONS
In 2024, Jammu and Kashmir held its first local elections since the 2019 revocation of autonomy. Several newly elected lawmakers urged a partial restoration of Article 370. Key regional parties boycotted or criticized the vote, saying the winners would not get any real political power.
2025
Tensions escalated after an attack on April 22 in the resort town of Pahalgam in Indian Kashmir in which 26 men, mostly Hindus, were killed. India identified two of the three suspected militants as Pakistanis, although Islamabad denied any role.
Among a slew of tit-for-tat reprisals, India suspended the 1960 Indus Water Treaty regulating the sharing of water from the river and its tributaries.
India launched attacks on May 7 on what it said were “terrorist camps” in Pakistan, including in Pakistani Kashmir.
Strikes and counterstrikes against each side’s military installations followed. On Saturday, May 10, after concerted US diplomacy and pressure, the two nations said they had agreed to a “full and immediate ceasefire.”
Trump says will work with India, Pakistan to seek resolution of Kashmir dispute
- In social media post, Trump vows to increase trade “substantially” with both India and Pakistan
- Statement comes a day after Washington said it brokered ceasefire between the two neighbors
ISLAMABAD: US President Donald Trump said on Sunday he would try to work with both India and Pakistan to see if they can resolve their dispute over the Kashmir territory, vowing to increase trade “substantially” with both nuclear-armed neighbors following their armed conflict this week.
Trump’s message on his social media platform, Truth Social, comes a day after India and Pakistan exchanged missiles and drone attacks, raising widespread fears of a nuclear confrontation between the two. Relations between India and Pakistan deteriorated after Delhi blamed Islamabad for backing an attack on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir that killed 26.
Islamabad denied involvement, with tensions reaching a boiling point after India fired missiles at what it said were “terrorist infrastructure” in Pakistan on Wednesday, killing several. Pakistan said India had killed only civilians, vowing retribution.
India and Pakistan both claim the Himalayan region of Kashmir in full but govern only parts of it. They have fought two out of three wars since 1947 over Kashmir. India accuses Pakistan of arming separatist militants in the part of Kashmir it administers. Pakistan rejects the allegations and says it extends only moral and diplomatic support to the people of Kashmir.
“While not even discussed, I am going to increase trade, substantially, with both of these great Nations,” Trump wrote, referring to India and Pakistan.
“Additionally, I will work with you both to see if, after a ‘thousand years,’ a solution can be arrived at concerning Kashmir,” he added.
The US president said he was proud of the “strong and unwaveringly powerful leadership” of India and Pakistan for having the strength, wisdom, and fortitude to understand that it was time to stop the military aggression.
He said the armed conflict between the two states could have led “to the death and destruction of so many, and so much.”
The US is an important trade partner of Pakistan, with Washington’s goods exports to Pakistan reaching $2.1 billion in 2024, up 4.4 percent ($90.9 million) from 2023, according to US government data.
The import of goods from Pakistan to the US totaled $5.1 billion in 2024, up 4.9 percent ($238.7 million) from 2023.
The US considers India its key strategic ally and has bolstered trade and defense ties with New Delhi in recent years to counter Beijing’s rising influence in Asia.
’FAITHFUL CEASEFIRE IMPLEMENTATION’
The ceasefire announcement came after the Pakistan military said early on Saturday it had launched retaliatory strikes against India, accusing it of attacking three bases in Pakistan with missiles.
Pakistan’s military said it had targeted multiple bases in India in response, including a missile storage site in India’s north, as part of a military operation it named “Bunyan-um-Marsoos.”
Within hours of the ceasefire announcement on Saturday afternoon, however, India accused Islamabad of violating it by targeting Srinagar city in Indian-administered Kashmir.
Pakistan’s Information Minister Ata Tarar denied the allegation, saying people in his country were celebrating the end of the conflict and the government remained committed to the agreement.
The foreign office of Pakistan also maintained the country remained committed to the “faithful implementation” of the ceasefire.
Pakistan observes ‘Day of Gratitude’ today to celebrate ‘befitting response’ to Indian military
- Pakistan agreed to a ceasefire with India on Saturday after both sides exchanged missile, drone attacks
- Shehbaz Sharif urges nation, particularly religious scholars, to offer special prayers for those killed in conflict
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has announced that the nation would mark today, Sunday, as a “Day of Gratitude” to recognize the “befitting response” it had delivered to the Indian military following a shaky ceasefire agreement between Islamabad and New Delhi that took after days of conflict between the nuclear-armed neighbors.
United States President Donald Trump announced on Saturday that Washington had brokered a ceasefire between India and Pakistan following intense missile and drone exchanges, which began after a gun attack in Pahalgam, a tourist resort in Indian-administered Kashmir, that killed 26 people, in April.
India blamed Pakistan for the incident despite Islamabad’s rejection of the allegation, and launched retaliatory strikes on what it called “terrorist infrastructure.” It also took other retaliatory actions, including the suspension of a decades-old river water sharing treaty with lower riparian Pakistan.
The ceasefire announcement came after the Pakistan military said early on Saturday it had launched retaliatory strikes against India, accusing it of attacking three bases in Pakistan with missiles. Pakistan’s military said it had targeted multiple bases in India in response, including a missile storage site in India’s north.
“Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has announced to observe ‘Youm-e-Tashakkur’ across the country today [Sunday] for giving a befitting response to Indian aggression and the success of ‘Operation Bunyan-un-Marsoos,’” state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported.
The state media said the day would be observed to offer gratitude to god, pay tribute to the Pakistani armed forces for their “unmatched bravery” and appreciate the nation’s resilience.
Sharif appealed to the nation, particularly religious scholars, to offer voluntary prayers for the people who had been martyred in the attacks.
“Shehbaz Sharif expressed the resolve that the sacrifices of the Pakistan Armed Forces will never be forgotten, as the nation stands shoulder to shoulder with them,” Radio Pakistan said.
SHARIF HOPES TO RESOLVE OUTSTANDING ISSUES
In his address to the nation on Saturday night, the Pakistani prime minister hoped Islamabad’s ceasefire with New Delhi would pave the way for both countries to resolve longstanding issues.
“We firmly believe that all outstanding issues, including the dispute over Jammu and Kashmir and the distribution of water resources, should be resolved through peaceful dialogue in accordance with the principles of justice,” he said.
Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri had announced that the two countries’ military operations chiefs had spoken to each other and agreed that all fighting would stop at 5 p.m. Indian time (1130 GMT) on Saturday, without using the word “ceasefire.” The MO chiefs would next speak on May 12, he added.
Within hours, however, India accused Islamabad of violating the ceasefire by targeting Srinagar city in Kashmir.
Pakistan’s Information Minister Ata Tarar denied the allegation, saying people in his country were celebrating the end of the conflict and the government remained committed to the agreement.
The foreign office of Pakistan also maintained the country remained committed to the “faithful implementation” of the ceasefire.
“Notwithstanding the violations being committed by India in some areas, our forces are handling the situation with responsibility and restraint,” it said in a statement.
Pakistan’s religious affairs minister commends Saudi Hajj arrangements during Makkah visit
- Sardar Yousaf urges Pakistani pilgrims to follow Saudi guidelines for a smooth Hajj experience
- He visits Pakistan’s Hajj Medical Mission and camps in Mina to review facilities for pilgrims
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Minister for Religious Affairs Sardar Muhammad Yousaf on Saturday praised Saudi authorities for the arrangements made for this year’s Hajj pilgrims, describing the facilities as comfortable and well-managed.
The remarks came during his visit to Makkah, where he met officials and inspected facilities for Pakistani pilgrims, including medical services and accommodation in Mina.
“The arrangements made by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz, and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for the guests of Allah Almighty are truly commendable,” the Associated Press of Pakistan quoted Yousaf as saying.
“We appreciate the efforts to ensure comfort, safety and well-being of all pilgrims,” he added.
The minister urged Pakistani pilgrims to fully comply with the rules and guidelines issued by Saudi authorities, stressing they were designed to facilitate a smooth pilgrimage experience.
Yousaf also toured the Pakistan Hajj Medical Mission and received a briefing on the facilities available for pilgrims.
He later made a surprise visit to Mina camps managed by the Saudi company Al Rajhi, expressing satisfaction with services such as air-conditioned tents, sofa-cum-beds and dedicated storage spaces.
The minister reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to providing high-quality services to its pilgrims and emphasized that no lapses in care would be tolerated.
Hajj is expected to take place between June 4 and 9 this year. Pakistan launched special Hajj flights on April 29 and has since transported thousands of pilgrims to Madinah.
