Pakistan Gender News Voice of Gender News From Pakistan
By: Munawer Azeem
ISLAMABAD: A retired major was booked by Secretariat police for sexually harassing the Dubai based first Pakistani astronaut N.S. through emails, police said on Wednesday.
The case was registered on a complaint lodged by a section officer of Interior Ministry. Earlier, the victim’s father had lodged a complaint against the accused in the Embassy of Islamic Republic of Pakistan in Dubai (UAE).
Police said the accused allegedly sexually harassed the victim though emails besides claiming himself to be Imam Mehdi. In response, the embassy forwarded the complaint to interior ministry for registration of an FIR against the accused.
The complaint was then sent to Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) for registration of a case under cyber crime. Besides, name of the accused was put on Exit Control List (ECL) on May 14.
However, the FIA informed the ministry that it would not register the case under cyber crime and suggested the local police should be approached for registration of the case against the accused for his claim to be Imam Mehdi, threatening the complainant and harassing her under the relevant blasphemy and women protection laws.
In the light of the suggestion, the complaint was forwarded along with the emails and other relevant record to Secretariat police on June 19, who after getting the legal opinion from it prosecution department, registered the case under sections PPC 295-A (deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or beliefs) and 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman).
The Secretariat police, when contacted, said that according to record the accused was currently living in the United States.
