Reports of foreign tourists being assaulted and sexually harassed by Punjab police in Sadiqabad have been circulating on social media through a series of viral videos. The incident involved three tourists – Alex Sidney from Italy, Charles West from the UK, and Motahhareh Abbasi from Iran. They claimed that the harassment began when they entered Punjab on January 25 under the protection of the police escort, but were allegedly attacked by the officers.

Alex explained to the media that while having breakfast at a roadside hotel, another police van not part of their escort arrived and began shouting at them. “When we asked why, one of the officers grabbed me by the hair, took our camera, threatened to run us over with a vehicle, and then confiscated the camera,” he recounted. More officers joined, with one even pointing a gun at them.

The female tourist mentioned that this was not the first time police had harassed her, stating, “Many times, they asked me for my WhatsApp number and kept insisting. When I questioned them, they would start insulting me. Initially, I gave my number to some, and they began asking for pictures and sending creepy messages,” she reported, adding that she had been receiving creepy messages from Pakistani policemen for the last month.

Punjab Police Statement

Addressing the situation, DPO Rahim Yar Khan released a video statement explaining the events. “These tourists were traveling from Sindh to Punjab, and the Sindh police informed us of their arrival. It was our duty to provide security to the tourists,” stated the DPO.

He also mentioned that one of the tourists was from a country where nine Pakistanis were recently killed, making her security even more critical. “These tourists declined police security,” the DPO insisted, adding that senior police officials met the tourists, explained the situation, gave them gifts, and expressed gratitude on behalf of the Punjab police.

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