ASP Sheherbano says she experienced cyber-bullying after PGC rape incident

Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Sheherbano Naqvi stated that she received threatening messages and experienced bullying on social media after terming the Punjab College rape incident as fake news.

After an initial investigation, ASP Sheherbano recorded a video statement on Monday alongside the victim’s father and uncle, describing the incident as “propaganda” and “misinformation.”

The female police officer, who made headlines after saving a woman from a mob in Lahore’s Icchra Bazar, also faced criticism for denying the occurrence of a sexual assault on the premises of Punjab College.

She took to Instagram to speak about the cyberbullying she faced from individuals who accused her of lying or covering up the rape of a female student.

“Most of the hate messages were from women,” Sheherbano said, revealing that many comments were “offensive.”

She criticised the mentality of people who, “from behind a screen, believe they have the right to ridicule anyone,” stating that “this kind of apathy is scary.”

In subsequent posts on her Instagram story, Sheherbano shared screenshots of the offensive messages she received in her inbox.

The majority of the messages contained foul language, accusing Sheherbano of distorting facts to hide the rape incident.

The news of the alleged rape went viral on social media, with various accounts claiming that a security guard sexually assaulted a fist year intermediate student in the basement of Punjab College Campus 10 in Lahore’s Gulberg area.

The spread of several videos and explanations linked to the incident has divided the internet, with some calling the unrest the result of fake news about the rape, while others express doubt about the government’s interpretation of the incident.

Despite clarifications and assurances about the ongoing investigation into the spread of fake news on social media, students in various cities across Punjab refused to back down and continued their protests against the alleged rape incident.