A Pakistani female police officer is being praised for her quick action to defuse a potentially violent scenario in Lahore. In a widely shared video, Assistant Superintendent of Police Syeda Shehrbano Naqvi is shown protecting a woman from a mob that accused her of blasphemy after mistaking the Arabic patterns on her kurta for Quran verses. The situation reportedly took place when the woman went to an eatery in Lahore with her husband. While the altercation started with a few men shouting at her, a large crowd gathered later, making the situation horrifying.
Woman in Pakistan is threatened with beheading for wearing a digital print shirt in Arabic.
— The Poll Lady (@ThePollLady) February 25, 2024
The dress is from Ramadan collection in Saudi Arabia and has no Quran verses, but most Pakistanis can’t read Arabic.
pic.twitter.com/dpDdzdbvYe
Woman Rescued By Police As Crowd Turned Violent
As the situation started to get out of hand, the police arrived at the restaurant to escort the woman. Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Syeda Shehrbano Naqvi of Punjab Police (Pakistan) tried to pacify the crowd and helped return the woman to safety. In a video shared by Punjab Police official X account, ASP Naqvi can be seen urging the crowd not to resort to violence.
The police said on X that ASP Naqvi will be honoured with the Quaid-e-Azam Police Medal (QPM), the highest gallantry award for law enforcement in Pakistan, for her bravery in rescuing the woman.
"ASP Syeda Shehrbano Naqvi, the brave SDPO of Gulbarg Lahore, put her life in danger to rescue a woman from a violent crowd. For this heroic deed, the Punjab Police has recommended her name for the prestigious Quaid-e-Azam Police Medal (QPM), the highest gallantry award for law… pic.twitter.com/awHaIGVb9l
— Punjab Police Official (@OfficialDPRPP) February 25, 2024
In a statement to the media, ASP Naqvi said, "The woman had gone shopping with her husband. She had worn a kurta that had some words written on it. When some people saw it they asked her to remove the kurta. There was a confusion. The woman also shared a statement after reaching the police station. "I had no intentions of insulting anyone's religious sentiments. I bought the kurta just because it had a good design," she said.