Who is to blame for Iqbal Park tragedy

Lahore:The girl who was making video on August 14 at Greater Iqbal Park for her YouTube channel had certainly no idea what could happen to her there. She could have lost her life the way she was attacked by the mob.

What is disturbing and very sad is the public reaction on social media. As many people are holding her responsible for the attack as there are those who condemn the attackers and harassers. When will this nation learn to stop victim blaming? With this ugly incident in the heart of the country on a festive day, Lahore seems to have lost its magic. The adage Lahore Lahore ae no more seems to hold ground.

Greater Iqbal Park was spilling with people which was thronged by hundreds of visitors from outside Lahore on Independence Day. There are posts on social media that say the victim, Ayesha Akram had invited her YouTube channel viewers to the park on that day so they were her fans. This scribe talked to the security guards deputed in the park and found that some scoundrels spotted her and started walking behind her. She went through the park making video. The crowd following her grew bigger and bigger. They were all young men. Initially, the guards present there and the onlookers construed this as youths trying to get into the video the girl was making.

A guard posted close to one of the main gates assumed that the girl was a celebrity TickToker and the boys walking behind her wanted to be part of the video and some were there to take autographs from her. The moment this “procession” reached close to the cordoned off area at the Minar-e-Pakistan, the guard posted there opened the gate for the girl, sensing danger posed by the charged mob behind her. Kamran, the security guard, said when the girl came close to the gate, she said, “Please save me”. It was then that the guard realised completely that the girl was in trouble and the young men were teasing her and trying to get hold of her. He opened the gate, let her in and stopped all others out in a bid to save her from the rowdy crowd that had been following for some time and had gained momentum. But some boys jumped over the fence. “I feared the girl would die. It was truly scary. They seemed to be in hundreds reaching for her,” Kamran said.

The guards stopped them from entering the cordoned off area but there did not stop. Three guards got injured in the process of trying to control the mob. The boys pushed the guards who fell on the floor. They also tried to snatch their weapons in which they, fortunately, did not succeed but the guards were physically hurt. Another guard who was on duty on the first floor of the minaret was also hurt. He said he feared the girl would jump off the minaret and commit suicide because he could not keep count how many men were manhandling the girl. Only three men were trying to save her and they guessed they were her friends. This scribe visited the park and heard all this from the staff there.

The most important piece of information to be noted is that 40 cameras were installed in the park and were in working condition. When the news of riot reached the office of the chief security officer, M Zameer, at Greater Iqbal Park whose office is close to the Minar, he called police. The girl entered the cordoned off area at 6:37 pm. At 6:45pm the security supervisor called at15, the police emergency number. At 6:46pm the chief security officer called the SHO concerned. He called him again at 7:09 pm. He called police again at 8:59 pm but police came at 9:19pm. The calls are all on record, the chief security officer told 'The News' at Greater Iqbal Park.

The Dolphin Squad officials came to rescue of the girl who had fallen prey to the “hyenas among men.” There are 13 scratches on the girl’s body. A bunch of men attacked her and they have been identified but investigation is ongoing and police have yet to disclose their identity officially.

It was learnt that 30 to 35 men were arrested by police, out of them, 20 were released. Seven persons have been identified with the help of Nadra. One is from Kot Abdul Malik. He and two of his companions are in the custody of Ravi Road police. Four accused had come from Bannu and left for their hometown on August 15. They will be nabbed soon, sources said. It was learnt that 11 men were being investigated by CIA Kotwali in this regard.

The chief security officer at the park also told The News that people gatecrashed into the park on the night of August 13 after 11pm, even after 12am. At this too he called police who registered an FIR. The chief minister has suspended DIG operations, SSP Operations and Lorry Adda SHO for not responding to the emergency in this particular instance.