Abuse of authority

EDITORIAL: The alleged rape of a mentally challenged young woman inside Lahore’s Ghaziabad police station exposes the devastating consequences of unchecked state power. While the criminal investigation should be allowed to proceed without prejudice and the accused is entitled to due process, the allegations, if proven, point to a catastrophic failure of policing, supervision, and accountability. Few crimes can inflict greater damage on the legitimacy of law enforcement than one committed within the very premises meant to provide protection and justice.

The Punjab Police’s decision to suspend the entire staff of the station is an extraordinary measure, reflecting the gravity of the incident. The rationale offered by the Lahore DIG that no officer questioned why a woman had been brought to the police station in the absence of female personnel or why established procedures had not been followed underscores a troubling institutional culture in which silence and negligence appear to have displaced vigilance and professional responsibility. While such collective administrative action cannot substitute for individual criminal liability, it does acknowledge that institutional failures rarely occur in isolation.

Particularly distressing is the reported vulnerability of the victim. The state’s duty of care is greatest for those least able to protect themselves. Instead, according to the allegations, that vulnerability was exploited by someone entrusted with enforcing the law. If these allegations are proven, the crime would represent not merely the misconduct of a single official but a grave abuse of state authority.

The prompt registration of the FIR, the arrest of the accused officer, the intervention of the prosecutor general and the judicial oversight of the investigation are necessary and welcome developments. However, public confidence will depend less on these initial steps than on whether the investigation remains impartial and the prosecution is conducted with professionalism, transparency and independence. Pakistan has witnessed too many cases in which justice is delayed or diluted as public outrage subsides. This case must not be allowed to follow that familiar pattern.

The episode also raises broader questions about policing standards in Pakistan. Police stations cannot remain opaque spaces where supervisory mechanisms are weak and internal accountability is largely reactive. Compliance with existing procedures governing the handling of women, the mandatory presence of female personnel, functional surveillance systems, proper visitor registers and effective internal oversight cannot be dismissed as administrative formalities. They are essential safeguards designed to prevent abuses of authority and protect those who seek the state’s help.

Restoring public confidence will require more than securing the conviction of one accused official. It demands sustained institutional reform that strengthens oversight, enforces professional standards, and reinforces the principle that no one — especially those entrusted with enforcing the law — is above it. Justice for the victim is imperative, so too is ensuring that police stations remain places of safety rather than fear. Only then can confidence in law enforcement begin to be restored.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026