LAHORE: A woman in Township says armed men, some in police uniform and others in plain clothes, entered her home and robbed her family at gunpoint. She also says the local police station refused to accept her complaint.
She has now taken the matter to a senior police officer.
The victim, identified as Mehwish, says the armed men entered her house claiming they had come to carry out a check.
According to her account, they took the following at gunpoint which includes four mobile phones, wrist watches, cash, the keys to her car, and the keys to a cupboard.
The total value of the stolen property is estimated at several hundred thousand rupees.
Mehwish says the men presented themselves as personnel of the Crime Control Department (CCD), Punjab’s specialised unit against serious and organised crime. It is not yet known whether the men were actually connected to any law enforcement agency or were impersonating officers.
After the incident, Mehwish called the 15 emergency helpline. She says she was told to file an application at the police station. When she went to Township police station, she alleges the officers there refused to accept it.
She has since sent an application to the SSP Discipline asking for action. This office handles complaints of misconduct by police personnel.
Police had not issued a public response to the allegations by the time of filing.
The case raises two separate concerns.
The first is criminals posing as police officers. This undermines public trust and makes it harder for citizens to cooperate with real checks.
The second is the alleged refusal to register the complaint. Under Pakistani law, police are required to record complaints of cognisable offences such as armed robbery.
The allegation comes during a province-wide campaign against police misconduct. Punjab Police recently reported that 791 personnel faced action over corruption in 13 days. Lahore’s senior command has also taken its open court online, with the DIG calling complainants directly.
These steps are meant to make complaints like Mehwish’s easier to raise and resolve.
Once the SSP Discipline’s office reviews the complaint, it is expected to decide whether a case will be registered and whether any officers face departmental inquiry. Investigators may also use CCTV footage from the area, if available, to identify the men and confirm their identities.
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