Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has expressed displeasure after a Lahore court granted bail to a man accused of assaulting a female scooty rider. She described the development as “SAD” in an X post on Saturday.
Sharif shared screenshots of a news report on the case after a judicial magistrate released the suspect, Ghulam Mustafa, against surety bonds worth Rs100,000. The court ordered his release unless he was wanted in another case, although Mazang police had asked that he be sent to jail on judicial remand.
Chief minister’s message to the victim
In a separate post, the chief minister said she had spoken personally to the victim and encouraged her to slap the suspect as many times as he had slapped her. According to Sharif, the woman said that the government’s support had made her feel protected and assured her that justice was on her side.
Also read: Man held for assaulting scooty rider in Lahore over overtaking · Maryam Nawaz shares video of petrol pump slap in Lahore
CCTV shows attack on busy Lahore road
The case relates to an incident on Thursday, in which the suspect allegedly attacked the woman on a busy road. Footage from CCTV cameras spread widely online, fuelling outrage over the assault and over bystanders who did not step in.
The video reportedly shows a man stopping his motorcycle in front of the woman’s scooter, then allegedly pulling her hair and repeatedly slapping her while several people looked on. Initial police reports said she suffered facial injuries, including a fractured nasal bone.
A police official said the suspect also threw her bag to the ground, damaging a laptop worth around Rs90,000 inside it, before fleeing the scene.
Police arrest suspect using Safe Cities cameras
Police traced and arrested the accused using footage and data from dozens of cameras run by the Punjab Safe Cities Authority. He was later nominated in a criminal case registered by Mazang police.
