Esra Bilgiç hits out at CCPO Lahore Umar Sheikh over Motorway incident remarks

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Turkish actor Esra Bilgiç, who has found a massive fan base in Pakistan following the popularity of Diriliş: Ertuğrul, called out Lahore Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Umar Sheikh for his remarks blaming the victim of the Motorway rape incident.

"Women can drive alone or with their children. Only thing you need to do is provide security," wrote Bilgiç, who portrays Halime Sultan on the hit Turkish series and came across the incident through a BBC News report. "You're okay with gangs' presence on your roads as a police officer? You think that if a woman chooses those roads to drive, there is a right to rape and kill them?"

"You're displaying a shocking ignorance of this matter," Bilgiç continued in a series of now-deleted Instagram stories. "Before you advise, you should change your thoughts it seems impossible."

"What a shame on you and people like yourself!"

In a statement following the incident earlier this month, the police chief had said, "I am surprised by the fact that the woman was travelling alone on the Motorway at night. She should have taken the GT Road route which has population on both sides."

Sheikh maintained the victim should have checked the fuel in her car before travelling and should have known there is no petrol station on the Motorway.

The CCPO's comments were promptly condemned on social media for blaming the victim and putting the onus of preventing a crime on the victim instead of the perpetrators or law enforcement authorities.

The Lahore police chief has since apologised for his comments, but not before he doubled down and reiterated his earlier remarks.