Punjab Police Accused of Sexual Harassment By Foreign Tourists

Three foreign tourists have accused the Punjab police of assault and sexual harassment, including Alex Sidney from Italy, Charlie West from the UK, and Motahhareh Abbasi from Iran, cycling through Sadiqabad en route to Lahore. The incident occurred on January 25, and a video of the assault surfaced on Saturday. The tourists, who had a police escort for security, claim they were attacked by a different police unit.

Alex Sidney, one of the cyclists, began his journey from Italy in 2022 and was later joined by Motahhareh in Tehran. They entered Pakistan from the Balochistan-Iran border and cycled through Balochistan and Sindh. In Karachi, Charlie West joined them.

On the day of the incident, as they left their hotel in Sadiqabad escorted by police, another police van arrived, and a policeman, identified as ASI Liaqat, allegedly assaulted them. The policeman shouted at Motahhareh, attempted to snatch their camera, and physically attacked Alex. When Motahhareh tried to block the police vehicle, the policeman allegedly instructed the driver to run her over. The incident escalated, leading to Alex jumping onto the moving police vehicle to retrieve his camera.

The tourists’ police escort did not intervene, and the alleged assailant handed over the camera to another officer. Later, more policemen arrived, and the same vehicle returned, with the policeman pointing a gun at Motahhareh. The tourists attempted to file a complaint at Ahmedpur Lamma Police Station, but the officer on duty refused, suggesting they seek help from social media.

The cyclists claimed that since entering Punjab on January 25, they faced repeated assaults and harassment from the police. The police reportedly used vehicles and motorcycles to intimidate them, alleging they were going the wrong way. In an earlier incident in Sindh, Motahhareh was deliberately injured when a policeman suddenly stopped his motorcycle in front of her.

Alex revealed that Motahhareh faced persistent sexual harassment from Pakistani policemen who asked for her WhatsApp number and sent inappropriate messages. Motahhareh stated that regardless of the province, policemen from all three provinces they traveled in harassed her, with Punjab being the worst.

The tourists expressed feeling safer without police escorts, as common Pakistanis were hospitable. Alex emphasized that many times in Sindh, where they did not have police escorts, they felt safe. They believed the police escorts were hindering their safety rather than ensuring it.

Charlie West, the third cyclist, intended to cycle separately towards Lahore but was unsure due to the situation. The police in Rahim Yar Khan and Sadiqabad were contacted for their version, but their spokesmen refused to respond.

Sources in Rahim Yar Khan police denied the assault allegations and insisted that the police escort was present for the tourists’ security. The tourists were reported to have left the hotel in Sadiqabad, staying at a restaurant along a filling station between Sadiqabad and Rahim Yar Khan.