Five men arrested for beating, stripping four women in Faisalabad market

[Devadwal]

Police have arrested five men on charges of assaulting, stripping and filming four women in Faisalabad's Bawa Chak Market on Monday.

Confirming the arrests, Faisalabad City Police Officer (CPO) Dr Mohammad Abid Khan told Dawn.com on Tuesday that raids were being conducted for further arrests and the culprits would be given strict punishment.

The matter had surfaced when a video of the four women went viral on social media.

Subsequently, a first information report (FIR) was registered at Millat Town police station against four named suspects — Saddam, the owner of Usman Electric Store, and his employee, Faisal, Zaheer Anwar, and Faqeer Hussain, the owner of a sanitary products' shop — and 10 unidentified suspects on behalf of one of the victims.

The suspects have been charged under sections 354-A (assault or use of criminal force against a woman and stripping her), 509 (insulting modesty or causing sexual harassment), 147 (punishment for rioting) and 149 (unlawful assembly guilty of an offence committed in prosecution of common object) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

According to the FIR, a copy of which is available with Dawn.com, the complainant, a garbage-picker, went to Bawa Chak Market with three other women to collect garbage on Monday at around 10:30am.

She told police that they were thirsty and went inside a shop, Usman Electric Store, and asked for a bottle of water from one of the suspects, Saddam, whom they identified as the owner of the shop. But Saddam began shouting at them, accusing them of entering his shop with the intention to steal, the FIR said, adding that other suspects also reached the shop upon hearing him shouting.

They began beating the four women, stripped them and dragged them through the market. "They continued to beat us for around an hour and made our videos in naked condition," the FIR quoted the complainant as saying. Later, some family members of the victims reached the market and passersby gathered at the spot who pleaded with the suspects to let the women go, according to the FIR.

"The suspects committed gross injustice by stripping us, dragging us through the market and torturing us and strict action should be taken against them," the complainant said in the FIR.

According to a tweet by the Punjab Police, two of the suspects were arrested on Monday night and three others were arrested later on Tuesday.

"All aspects of the incident are being investigated," the tweet said.

 

[Devadwal]

Extremely disturbed after accidentally watching this video from Faisalabad. Women stripped, assaulted and filmed in public and not a single man came forward to stop this barbarity. The whole market was watching. Where is humanity ??

 

[saeedhk]

I am disturbed but not one bit surprised! Also today, 4 women shot dead in Rahim Yar Khan over honor.

 

[sweep_shot]

Is this true or fake?

If true, very disappointing.

 

[MenInG]

Very sad state of affairs.

 

[Napa]

Are these women Christians? May be mistaken but I believe work such as garbage picking is often done by Christians.

 

[street cricketer]

Are these women Christians? May be mistaken but I believe work such as garbage picking is often done by Christians.

Yes, this was the first thought that came to my mind.

 

[transparent opacity]

where are we headed as a society, a total collapse?
Shameful to say the least.

 

[Poseidon]

Are these women Christians? May be mistaken but I believe work such as garbage picking is often done by Christians.

no. according to info the arrested men were perverts.

 

[IAJ]

What is happening in this country? This is just sad and shameful.

 

[Saj]

Another day, another embarrassing news story.

What the hell is going on in Pakistan?

Why did nobody come forward and try to stop this happening.

 

[Buffet]

Since there is no religious angle, something looked off here given no one came to object to such behavior.

I just googled and there is CCTV footage. I won't comment on the authenticity of it but take a look.

 

[JaDed]

Unfortunate incident, hopefully the victims recover.

Everyone needs to realize with the improvements in technology, video capturing the true face of South Asia is visible now.

The good thing about this is , a stable point will reached where people think before acting due to consequences.

 

[Ryw]

Since there is no religious angle, something looked off here given no one came to object to such behavior.

I just googled and there is CCTV footage. I won't comment on the authenticity of it but take a look.

Thanks for that CCTV footage, these vile women after getting caught tore their clothes on purpose to play woman victim card. I am sure there is no punishment for that. #Himtoo #Justice

 

[Napa]

Thanks for that CCTV footage, these vile women after getting caught tore their clothes on purpose to play woman victim card. I am sure there is no punishment for that. #Himtoo #Justice

I saw the footage on a tweet. It shows one woman sitting in the shop crying, and another woman being dragged into the shop by 3 men. The woman who is crying starts removing her clothes. Whether she did it because she was asked to, or whether she did it to frame the men I cannot say.

 

[PakLFC]

These things don't surprise me anymore. We have hit rock bottom now as far as I am concerned. When these people are punished the human rights people start crying over injustice. In an Islamic country these people would never see the daylight again. These crimes continue due to a lack of accountability.

 

[PakLFC]

Then again this video shows something very different.

 

[street cricketer]

Some pretty embarrassing posts in the thread. Yes, the gang of women were robbers and I've seen such gang of women and even children in shabby clothes rushing into a store and robbing as much articles they can do while the owner is distracted in the commotion. Not much different to the gypsy mode of operation in Europe.

But there's video evidence of those women robbers being chased around the streets and asked to disrobe. The CCTV video will not show you the audio. Seems pretty cruel and the only reason I can think of is if they were checking whether they were hiding articles under their robes (still doesn't justify it though). Should've called the women police to deal with them (I assume there are all women police stations in Pakistan as well).

 

[MenInG]

In a harrowing incident of patriarchal violence, four women were disrobed, tortured and paraded through a Faisalabad bazaar in broad daylight by a group of men who accused them of shoplifting.

A First Information Report (FIR) was registered at the Millat Town police station against four suspects — Saddam, the owner of Usman Electric Store, and his employee, Faisal, Zaheer Anwar, and Faqeer Hussain, the owner of a sanitary products' shop — and 10 unidentified suspects on behalf of one of the victims.

The shocking assault was captured on disturbing video clips, which went viral and showed a group of men descend on women as they cry out for mercy. The horrifying footage showed the fearful women wearing nothing but a piece of cloth barely covering their body, as they walked through the streets.

The women, including one teenager, were seen in the viral video pleading to the people surrounding them to let them have a piece of cloth to cover themselves after being stripped but they were beaten with sticks.

In the FIR, the complainant, a garbage-picker, said she went to Bawa Chak Market with three other women to collect garbage on Monday at around 10:30am.

She told the police that they were thirsty and went inside a shop and asked for a bottle of water from the owner of the shop. But the owner began shouting at them, accusing them of entering his shop with the intention to steal, the FIR said, adding that other suspects also reached the shop upon hearing him shouting.

"They continued to beat us for around an hour and made our videos in naked condition," the FIR quoted the complainant as saying.

"The suspects committed gross injustice by stripping us, dragging us through the market and torturing us and strict action should be taken against them," the complainant said in the FIR.
Many people gathered on the spot and managed to get the victims freed.

The police have arrested the owner of the store, Saddam, Faisal, Zaheer Anwar and Faqir Hussain and registered a case against the accused under sections 354 A-509-147-149 TP.

Raids are being conducted to arrest the remaining accused.

Meanwhile, Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar also sought a report from the RPO of Faisalabad on the incident and ordered the official to take action against the culprits.

State’s writ withering away?

The horrifying incident, which took place just a few days after the brutal mob lynching in Sialkot, and amid a wave of violence already assaulting the nation has pushed the shame and agony a few more notches up, with many blaming the state for not doing enough.

Speaking to The Express Tribune, Nighat Dad, a human rights lawyer, said the horrific incident and the impunity with which it was carried out was “symptomatic of cracks within the country’s spotty law enforcement”.

Nighat noted that one of the underlying causes of the state of affairs was the state’s apathy. “The state appears to wash its hands free of responsibility by merely enacting and celebrating laws,” she said, adding that it was high time that the state actively intervenes and resolves the loopholes in the implementation of these laws.

“When the culprit knows that he can get off scot-free even after committing such heinous crimes, the crime rate will continue to soar.”

She said the state was virtually “emboldening such elements,” and pointed to what she described as “failure” on the part of the state to ensure fundamental rights guaranteed by the constitution.

The rights lawyers went on to say that the key social issues behind the crisis remain unaddressed and the culture of impunity for gender-based crimes remains firmly embedded.

“The fact that these men film gruesome acts of violence and then go on to post them online speaks volumes about how not only the pervasive misogyny structures our very society but also about it has been tacitly nurtured.”

The horrific scenes of violence against the women fuels outrage as the wave of repulsion envelopes the nation after the spine-chilling mob lynching of Sri Lankan national in Sialkot on blasphemy allegations.

Journalist Iftikhar Firdous conveyed his disgust on Twitter. "Women are stripped naked and beaten in Faisalabad for allegedly being involved in a robbery in the middle of the road. There is something seriously gone wrong in this country!"

Journalist Reem Khurshid expressed concern over how pervasive violence against women has become across the country.

"Content warning: Another day, another incident of mass violence: two women beaten, stripped and paraded in public in Faisalabad. This is happening with mind-numbing regularity."

https://tribune.com.pk/story/2332859/rage-as-faisalabad-women-paraded-naked-over-theft-suspicion

 

[James]

Absolutely dreadful, what is going on?

 

[Ryw]

Nighat Dad activist and lawyer is draging this incident on international media with false narrative. They are showing only one side of story which suits their false narrative.

I feel sorry for the poor fellow who was running a shop in these tough Covid times. Now they are behind bars, Congrats thats how you create crimnals, now they have no trust no other choice.

And we ask why crime rate is increasing in society, well here is the classic example for you. I blame this on society #himtoo

 

[NishanKonar]

Nighat Dad activist and lawyer is draging this incident on international media with false narrative. They are showing only one side of story which suits their false narrative.

I feel sorry for the poor fellow who was running a shop in these tough Covid times. Now they are behind bars, Congrats thats how you create crimnals, now they have no trust no other choice.

And we ask why crime rate is increasing in society, well here is the classic example for you. I blame this on society #himtoo

Even if they were stealing - this is not the way to deal with them. Just call some lady police and hand them over

 

[Ryw]

Even if they were stealing - this is not the way to deal with them. Just call some lady police and hand them over

Those goon women came with a proper planning and succeded with their plan.
Innocent Shopkeeper and staff are behind bars.

They knew how and where to create scene and play victim women card. All NGO 's in Pakistan and outside Pakistan are highlighting this with false title with false story. Pakistan 's name is being highlighted once again in a bad way. Anti Pakistan elements are sharing this all over internet.

I am surprised Anti Imran birgade didn’t blame Imran Khan for this...

 

[Poseidon]

according to reports its looks like drama.

 

[Pakpak]

Some pretty embarrassing posts in the thread. Yes, the gang of women were robbers and I've seen such gang of women and even children in shabby clothes rushing into a store and robbing as much articles they can do while the owner is distracted in the commotion. Not much different to the gypsy mode of operation in Europe.

But there's video evidence of those women robbers being chased around the streets and asked to disrobe. The CCTV video will not show you the audio. Seems pretty cruel and the only reason I can think of is if they were checking whether they were hiding articles under their robes (still doesn't justify it though). Should've called the women police to deal with them (I assume there are all women police stations in Pakistan as well).

In one twitter clip you can hear the men demanding 'take off your clothes', in another posted on Twitter you can see one of the men grabbing clothes off a woman.

But yes it was all a ruse.

 

[street cricketer]

In one twitter clip you can hear the men demanding 'take off your clothes', in another posted on Twitter you can see one of the men grabbing clothes off a woman.

But yes it was all a ruse.

My hindi/urdu is patchy but even I could understand the men shouting at the women to take off their clothes.

It's always fashionable to blame the women in the subcontinent.

 

[Gharib Aadmi]

Faisalabad women 'willingly undressed themselves' in new CCTV footage

FAISALABAD – The Faisalabad incident involving four women, who were tortured and paraded, has taken a turn as the victims spotted ripping off their clothes in a bid to threaten the shopkeeper to avoid being caught in the robbery.

The CCTV footage of the incident surfaced on social media in which three women can be seen shoplifting items from an electric store. The actual clip of the incident that garnered international attention gives the impression that these women undressed to threaten the shopkeeper.

The quick-witted shopkeeper ran outside the premises and restricted the women by holding the door tightly to prevent them from running. Women someway managed to open the entrance door and attempted to escape.


However, another man caught two of them upon commotion of the shop owner. As they got hold of the escaping women, the others started undressing themselves to gather the crowd.

As the shocking video take the internet by storm, RPO Faisalabad said it is yet to ascertain what happened there as there is no sound of the CCTV footage. Police officials said they are investigating whether the act was committed by the women themselves or the shopkeeper forced them to do so.

Earlier, it was reported that a group of men stripped four women, including a teenager, dragged and beat them up after accusing them of shoplifting.

Men arrested for assaulting, parading four women ...
09:56 AM | 8 Dec, 2021
LAHORE – Police in the country’s most populous region have apprehended five men after they assaulted, ...

The victims were seen pleading to the people surrounding them in in a viral video to let them have a piece of cloth to cover themselves after being stripped but they were beaten with sticks.

Police swung into action and have arrested five main culprits in this incident. An FIR has also been registered against five suspects and several others under relevant provisions of the law.

https://en.dailypakistan.com.pk/08-...ngly-undressed-themselves-in-new-cctv-footage

 

[Gharib Aadmi]

Those goon women came with a proper planning and succeded with their plan.
Innocent Shopkeeper and staff are behind bars.

They knew how and where to create scene and play victim women card. All NGO 's in Pakistan and outside Pakistan are highlighting this with false title with false story. Pakistan 's name is being highlighted once again in a bad way. Anti Pakistan elements are sharing this all over internet.

I am surprised Anti Imran birgade didn’t blame Imran Khan for this...

Absolutely, as soon as evidence comes that its fake the people who were screaming bloody murder are gone. They dont care that an innocent man was falsely accused.

 

[street cricketer]

Absolutely, as soon as evidence comes that its fake the people who were screaming bloody murder are gone. They dont care that an innocent man was falsely accused.

It's embarrassing man for you to defend those men. There was video evidence of the men asking her to disrobe. It cannot be posted here. CCTV footage won't have audio and of course you won't hear the men asking them to disrobe, and it will look like they automatically disrobed themselves.

 

[Gharib Aadmi]

It's embarrassing man for you to defend those men. There was video evidence of the men asking her to disrobe. It cannot be posted here. CCTV footage won't have audio and of course you won't hear the men asking them to disrobe, and it will look like they automatically disrobed themselves.

per reports that I have on social media read that audio was fake, and it was put out by an accomplice of theirs. Supposedly they are part of some gang. I personally dont think any women would disrobe like that and then come back to free her accomplice.

Anyway time will tell for this case, however their have been other cases where the media make a ruckus but then it turns out to be fake. Which was the point of my post which you responded to. If this turns out to be fake their will be very little coverage, especially by the liberals.

BTW my own cousin was robbed by a gang of women in burkhas in Karachi.
They are professional crooks who probably have a plan for what to do if they get caught.

 

[street cricketer]

per reports that I have on social media read that audio was fake, and it was put out by an accomplice of theirs. Supposedly they are part of some gang. I personally dont think any women would disrobe like that and then come back to free her accomplice.

Anyway time will tell for this case, however their have been other cases where the media make a ruckus but then it turns out to be fake. Which was the point of my post which you responded to. If this turns out to be fake their will be very little coverage, especially by the liberals.

BTW my own cousin was robbed by a gang of women in burkhas in Karachi.
They are professional crooks who probably have a plan for what to do if they get caught.

These kind of robbers are common in India too. They usually lead a gypsy life on the streets or in shanty slums. It's far fetched to say that they have IT support to manipulate audio on social media lol.

 

[Ryw]

It's embarrassing man for you to defend those men. There was video evidence of the men asking her to disrobe. It cannot be posted here. CCTV footage won't have audio and of course you won't hear the men asking them to disrobe, and it will look like they automatically disrobed themselves.

There is no embarrassment to defend those men , only embarrassment in this incident is Country 's image being tarnished. Nighat Dad making sure to drag this incident in international media, keep in mind she is the same activist lawyer for Meesha Shafi harrasment case. According to some reports in media, these goon women decided to fight this case with the help of those Anti Pakistan elements. #Liesruinlives #Himtoo #Justice

 

[Gharib Aadmi]

FAISALABAD WOMEN CONFESS TO TEARING APART THEIR CLOTHES ‘OUT OF FEAR’

FAISALABAD: The women allegedly stripped and tortured in Faisalabad after being caught during a ‘robbery bid’ have confessed to tearing apart their clothes out of fear of being nabbed, ARY NEWS reported.

This was disclosed by Chairperson of the Women Protection Authority Kaneez Fatima while speaking to ARY NEWS. “The women have confessed to stripping themselves out of fear and had apologized over the act committed by them,” she said.

Kaneez Fatima while denouncing the torture against the alleged female robbers said that no one has the right to beat them up even if they are involved in stealing anything.

A twist in the Faisalabad incident, which saw videos of women being stripped and tortured going viral on social media, emerged after a video showed them tearing off their clothes apart.

It further emerged that it was not the first time that they tore off their clothes after being nabbed as a similar incident occurred in the ‘Kabar’ market of the Bilal Ganj area in Faisalabad earlier.

Faislabad incident
Five people were arrested in Faisalabad after a video showing them torturing and stripping four women accused of stealing goods from a shop went viral on social media.

The incident occurred on Sargodha Road in Faisalabad where the shopkeepers claimed to have nabbed two women and two girls for their alleged involvement in stealing products from a shop.

The shopkeepers initially tortured the women and later stripped them besides also making their videos with their mobile phones.

Chief Minister Punjab Usman Buzdar while taking notice of the incident said that torture and the inhumane attitude towards women would not be tolerated. “We have so far arrested five people and IG Punjab has been directed to nab other suspects in the case,” he said.

https://arynews.tv/faisalabad-women-confess-to-tearing-apart-their-clothes-out-of-fear/

I am sure this confession will still not be enough evidence for some people. Nor will the fact that they have done this stunt before.

 

[FearlessRoar]

A shocking video that is now viral on social media platforms claims that "a Pakistani woman was forcibly thrown out of a window by her husband and in-laws as they were unhappy with her method of seasoning chicken". In the video, CCTV footage shows a girl captured standing in front of her house. Moments later, she swiftly shut the doors as she heard a woman screaming and falling from the upper floor of the building. Within seconds, several people, probably neighbours, were seen assisting the woman who sustained severe leg injuries. This triggered various wild theories on social media platforms over the reason of the incident.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1774133345540256187

 

[FearlessRoar]

Torture and domestic violence against women are issues that also need attention in Pakistan.

 

[PakLFC]

If Pak was a human being we'd be on life support machine. Had this thing happened to a Muslim in the west all these Zaid Hamid types would be up in arms. When it happens to non Muslim's in Pakistan no one utters a thing. I really don't think Pak can last ten more years in this terrible state. Most of our troubles are caused by ourselves. If Allah can create Pakistan then he can undo it too.

 

[gazza619]

Thanks to Almighty that I got the opportunity to leave Pakistan 20 years ago.

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

Just wondering, is it a normal thing for a husband and in-laws to throw a wife out of a window in Pakistan for not cooking satisfactorily?