Hero police officer who saved lady from mob: ‘It has made society query itself’ | World Information

A feminine police officer hailed a hero for shielding a girl from an offended mob has informed Sky Information the case has made Pakistani society query itself.

Syeda Shehrbano, an assistant superintendent in Lahore, stepped in to save lots of the lady from a crowd of 200 males, a few of whom had been calling for her to be beheaded.

The gang had mistaken the print on the lady’s gown for verses from the Koran – it was solely later confirmed by clerics and students to be Arabic script for the phrase “lovely”.

Blasphemy is punishable by loss of life in Pakistan and there have been many circumstances of individuals being murdered earlier than they even attain a trial.

Ms Shehrbano was captured pleading with the mob to “belief us” earlier than overlaying the lady in a black gown and gold headband and pushing via the group to guide her to security.

She was honoured for her bravery by the police inspector common for Punjab province, who mentioned she had “put her life at risk” to assist the lady.

Talking to Sky Information presenter Yalda Hakim on Monday, Ms Shehrbano mentioned she hoped the incident can be the final of its kind, “a minimum of in Pakistan”.

“A very powerful factor is that it has made the society query itself as a result of the four- or five-minute stroll that I took from the principle street till I reached that space (the place the lady was) is a bustling bazaar.

“It is a bazaar full of individuals, it is a bazaar full of shoppers in a number of outlets, so individuals had been occurring with their every day actions all of the whereas understanding there’s a lady surrounded by round 200 individuals able to be lynched.

“That is the query that’s going to be posed on the society’s consciousness, on its conduct and the way it has degenerated and why it has degenerated to such an extent.

“Now individuals have began asking: ‘If 200 individuals will be able to lynch her, why cannot 600 be prepared to guard her?'”

Ms Shehrbano appeared uncomfortable with being described as a hero, saying: “That is too massive of a query for me to reply… individuals round me can be a greater decide of this.

“It might have escalated, sure; my very own life was at risk, sure, there is not any doubt about that.

“The group which was current on the bottom – their lives had been at risk, there is not any doubt about that. However there are particular issues you need to do within the line of responsibility and at instances you need to transcend that line of responsibility.

“Our lives, after we’re in such a state of affairs, they change into fairly secondary and never so necessary, as a result of the lifetime of the sufferer is at stake, the picture of the nation is at stake.”

Asia Bibi, a Christian lady who was sentenced to loss of life in Pakistan in 2010 after being accused of defaming the Prophet Muhammad, noticed the video and informed Sky Information it reminded her of what occurred to her.

She was acquitted in 2018 and later fled the nation.

She informed Yalda Hakim: “After viewing that scene, my very own incident crossed my thoughts – the best way I used to be arrested and misplaced my senses.

“Equally, the identical situation was with that younger woman.

“The gown she wore on the time had some Arabic phrases printed on it however the mob thought it was the Koranic verses.

“It is Arabic-speaking individuals’s gown vogue – we Pakistanis ought to confirm one thing first earlier than taking any motion.”