Claim: Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that CCPO Lahore, Umer Sheikh, will not be transferred from his position.
Fact: Imran Khan has not issued such a statement; the PTI government in Punjab is carrying out an investigation into the CCPO’s conduct in the aftermath of the incident.
On September 10, two robbers gang-raped a woman at gunpoint on the Lahore-Sialkot motorway in Gujjarpur area after she ran out of fuel and was waiting for help with her children.
Following the incident, the Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) of Lahore issued remarks blaming the victim of the incident for leaving her house after midnight. On September 12, a screenshot from GTV News went viral on social media. The headline claimed that the Prime Minister Khan had made a statement in support of the CCPO, saying that he will not be transferred from his current position despite his remarks.
However, on September 12, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf’s official twitter handle posted a tweet clarifying that Prime Minister Khan had issued no such statement and that the claim is false. Furthermore, Punjab’s Chief Minister, Usman Buzdar issued a statement on the same day highlighting the government’s course of action surrounding the CCPO’s remarks. He clarified that an investigation is being carried out into the CCPO’s conduct following the incident and input is also being sought from the CCPO as he had been issued a show-cause notice.
Summary: Although viral stories claim that Imran Khan has issued a statement announcing that CCPO Lahore will not be transferred, PTI government in Punjab is carrying out an investigation into the CCPO’s conduct following which a decision would be made.
Research Associate: Rahul Hasnain