LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif on Saturday said she had personally spoken to the girl who was assaulted while riding a scooty in Lahore and suggested that she slap her assailant in return.
In a statement on X, Maryam Nawaz said she had spoken to the girl herself and told her to slap the man as many times as he had slapped her.
However, the chief minister said the girl declined, saying it was enough for her that the government had made her feel protected and cared for and assured her that justice was on her side.
A day earlier, police arrested a man accused of assaulting a girl riding a scooty in Lahore following a dispute over overtaking.
The suspect, identified as Ghulam Mustafa, was traced and arrested with the help of his motorcycle’s registration number, police said.
I spoke to the girl myself and told her that she should slap the man as many times as he had slapped her. But she said that, for her, it was enough that the government had made her feel protected, cared for, and assured that justice was on her side.
— Maryam Nawaz Sharif (@MaryamNSharif) October 24, 2026
According to police, the incident occurred on Mozang Link Road, where the suspect allegedly overtook the girl, stopped her and physically assaulted her.
The first information report (FIR) states that the suspect pulled the girl’s hair, verbally abused and harassed her in public. He also allegedly snatched her bag and threw it to the ground, damaging a laptop worth Rs50,000.
The girl sustained facial injuries, and her nasal bone was reportedly affected in the assault.
CCTV footage of the incident has also surfaced, showing the motorcyclist stopping the girl before allegedly grabbing her and throwing her to the ground. Bystanders intervened and helped rescue her.
Read More: Man arrested for assaulting scooty-riding girl in Lahore
Police said they reached the scene after receiving information through the emergency helpline 15. An initial case was registered against an unidentified suspect on the complaint of the victim’s father.
The Lahore Deputy Inspector General of Police (Operations) took notice of the incident and directed officers to ensure the suspect’s immediate arrest.
Police have registered a case at Mozang Police Station and initiated further legal proceedings against the suspect.