The Inspector General of Police (IGP) of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), Rana Abdul Jabbar, has issued orders for the arrest of a police officer accused of sexually harassing a British-Kashmiri woman. In an effort to ensure a transparent investigation, he has also formed a team of senior officials to probe the allegations.
According to the police department’s spokesperson, the IGP has instructed Poonch Deputy Inspector General of Police, Chaudhry Sajjad, to oversee the inquiry personally and guarantee that justice is served.
However, Thothal Station House Officer (SHO) Chaudhry Imran Ahmed, who was suspended on Tuesday, secured pre-arrest bail from a district court earlier today before going into hiding.
The IGP has directed law enforcement agencies to locate and detain him without delay, according to the police spokesperson.
Call for a Judicial Inquiry
The victim has rejected the police-led investigation, demanding instead that a high court judge conduct a judicial inquiry.
During a press conference in Mirpur, where she was joined by leaders of the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JKJAAC), she accused the police of pressuring her to withdraw the case to protect their colleague.
She further claimed that Inspector Mehboob from the Anti-Corruption Department also tried to pressure her—both in Pakistan and the UK—urging her to forgive the accused, citing his family obligations. The woman has insisted that a harassment case be filed against Inspector Mehboob as well and has contacted the British High Commission due to concerns for her safety.
Sharing details of her ordeal, she revealed that she had been struggling for the past four months to regain possession of her property in Mirpur. When she sought police assistance, SHO Ahmed picked her up in his car instead of calling her to the station. She alleged that instead of helping, he drove to a petrol station where he began harassing her before taking her to his residence at gunpoint. There, he consumed alcohol and attempted to assault her.
Tearfully recounting the incident, she described the SHO as a “predator,” emphasizing that she had never met him before. She managed to escape but not before he tried to remove her veil and boasted about previous similar actions. She attempted to contact a relative from the washroom but discovered there was no network signal.
The woman expressed frustration that despite providing recordings and other evidence, the police deliberately diluted the first information report (FIR), omitting serious charges such as abduction, harassment, illegal firearm possession, alcohol consumption, and religious desecration.
She also criticized Mirpur Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Khawar Ali for allegedly weakening the case and providing SHO Ahmed an opportunity to escape.
“Since I am not fluent in Urdu, my statement was not recorded in English, leading to misrepresentation in the FIR,” she stated.
“I never refused to cooperate with the police. I waited for eight days before going public because of their inaction.”
Dismissing efforts to discredit her by linking her to a drug cartel, she warned those defending the accused to fear divine justice.
JKJAAC leaders also strongly condemned the incident, labeling it an inexcusable crime. They supported the call for a judicial inquiry by a high court judge, the immediate arrest of the SHO, the addition of all omitted charges in the FIR, and legal action against Inspector Mehboob for allegedly harassing and influencing the victim. They warned of mass protests if justice was denied.
Meanwhile, the police spokesperson stated that certain local and overseas Kashmiris might be using the case for personal vendettas and urged the public to allow law enforcement to complete the investigation without external pressure.
“The serious allegations against the officer, along with the departmental inquiry, will be handled fairly and swiftly. The public will be kept fully informed of the case’s progress,” the statement assured.
