LAHORE/ISLAMABAD: Three foreign tourists, currently cycling in the Sadiqabad area en route to Lahore, have made serious allegations of assault and sexual harassment against the Punjab police, whose jurisdiction they entered on January 25.
A video capturing an attack on them by a policeman surfaced on Saturday, revealing one of several alleged assaults faced by the cycling tourists—Alex Sidney from Italy, Charlie West from the UK, and Motahhareh Abbasi from Iran—since entering Punjab. Despite having a police escort provided by the Punjab police to ensure their security, it is the same police force that is accused of attacking them.
Alex, one of the three tourists cycling in Pakistan, commenced his bicycle journey from Italy in 2022, traveling through Europe in the past two years. Motahhare joined him in Tehran while he was en route to Pakistan. They entered Pakistan from the Balochistan-Iran border, cycling through Balochistan and Sindh. Charlie West joined them in Karachi after arriving from the UK.
The incident occurred on Saturday morning when the tourists, escorted by their regular police detail, stopped for breakfast at a roadside hotel in Sadiqabad. Another police van, distinct from their escort, arrived at the location, and three unfamiliar policemen confronted them.
According to Alex, ASI Liaqat, one of the policemen, began shouting at Motahhareh to stand up without providing any explanation. When questioned, he attempted to snatch the camera, assaulted Alex, and allegedly tried to seize the camera.
Alex claimed that Liaqat grabbed him by the hair, threw him to the ground, and attempted to strike him with a large stick. When the policeman instructed his driver to leave, the tourists tried to prevent the vehicle from taking Alex’s camera, which contained crucial evidence. Alex jumped onto the police vehicle to retrieve his camera, and after traveling a kilometer, the vehicle stopped, and he jumped off. The tourists’ police escort reportedly kept a distance and did not intervene.
Subsequently, more police officers arrived at the scene, and the same vehicle returned, with the alleged assailant handing over Alex’s camera to an officer. Alex stated that when Motahhareh approached the policeman recording the incident, he pointed his gun at her.
Contrary to the police’s claim that the tourists were stopped from heading to Kashmore, Sindh, an unsafe area, Alex clarified that their destination was Lahore, not Kashmore. He asserted that they faced no such incidents in Sindh, where they were mostly escorted by police, but encountered issues in Punjab despite following the recommended route.
According to Alex, assaults and harassment by police began on January 26, a day after entering Punjab. They were allegedly hit by police vehicles and motorcycles, with officers claiming they were going the wrong way.
Motahhareh recounted an incident on January 26 when a policeman abruptly stopped his motorcycle in front of her, causing her to fall and injure her leg.
Alex and Motahhareh visited the Ahmedpur Lamma Police Station to file a complaint, but the officer on duty refused to register it and suggested seeking help from social media.
Motahhareh also accused Punjab police of persistent sexual harassment. She stated that they repeatedly asked for her WhatsApp number and, when questioned, insulted her. Despite initially sharing her phone number, she received inappropriate messages and pictures from Pakistani policemen over the past month.
Regardless of the province they traveled through, she claimed harassment by policemen, with the situation being worse in Punjab.
Alex mentioned an incident in Punjab where a policeman forcibly held Motahhareh’s hand for several minutes. Despite potential language barriers, some policemen spoke good English, and Alex observed that they were often told it was unsafe at various points, urging them to leave their jurisdictions quickly.
The tourists expressed feeling safer without police, as common Pakistanis were hospitable and supportive. They highlighted that in Sindh, where they often lacked a police escort, they felt secure.
