Lahore Gulberg Circle Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Syeda Shehrbano Naqvi was praised by Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir on Wednesday for her “selfless devotion to duty and professionalism in diffusing a volatile situation.”
A crowd gathered outside a store in the busy Ichra Bazaar in Lahore on Sunday afternoon when someone falsely claimed that a woman’s shirt had Quranic verses printed on it, demanding that this be considered “blasphemy.”
The girl was shown shaking in terror while hiding in a shop in a social media video footage. A few of the police officers at the scene called in their superiors after realizing how delicate the situation was.
The woman was then placed under protective custody and transported to the police station in the midst of increased security by a police team under the command of ASP Shehrbano. A video of the woman apologizing with religious scholars surfaced later that day.
The Quaid-i-Azam Police Medal (QPM) was recommended for ASP Naqvi on Monday by the Punjab police chief.
The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement today that ASP Shehrbano had visited the COAS at the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi.
“ASP Shehrbano was commended by the COAS for her professional and unselfish handling of a potentially explosive scenario. On February 26, the courageous policeman freed a lady from the hazardous environment of Ichra Bazaar in Lahore, according to the ISPR.
The head of the army recognized the important role Pakistani women had played for society at large. He was reported in the announcement as adding, “Since liberty, Pakistani women have distinguished themselves at both home and abroad by their talent, tenacity, and commitment.”
Women were emphasized by COAS as being an essential component of society and that respect for them was “enshrined in our religion in addition to our social ethos.” The army leader emphasized the value of social cohesion and the necessity of national agreement on reducing intolerance.
He emphasized the importance of the rule of law and cautioned against enforcing the law on oneself when there were legal channels available to resolve issues and complaints.
COAS Munir emphasized the enduring message of love and charity of Islam, pointing out that “arbitrary actions based on heresy weaken the outlook of the society”.
In order to protect Pakistani citizens’ safety and security, law enforcement authorities made sacrifices that he also valued.
