The Senate’s Functional Committee on Human Rights on Wednesday expressed its displeasure over the absence of Lahore Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Umer Sheikh’s absence from a meeting.

The Senate Human Rights body had directed Sheikh to appear in person, but Sheikh failed to appear without giving any information over his absence.

“Has the CCPO descended from the sky?” asked the committee chairman Mustafa Nawaz Khokar. He inquired the absence of Sheikh, and added that when top officials are present here why didn’t the CCPO showed up?

The committee issued summon to ensure the CCPO’s presence in the next meeting, and also decided to submit a privilege motion against him.

CCPO’s comments

Recently, Umar Sheikh landed into hot water over his comments of victim-blaming.

In his remarks, the CCPO wondered why the woman took the route to travel and said that she should have checked her petrol tank before getting on the said route.

Sheikh had said that the woman had left Lahore’s Defence area at 12:30 am for Gujranwala.

“I am surprised that a mother of three, a lone driver after leaving Defence should have taken the straight route from GT Road which is a generally well-populated area,” he had said, adding that the woman had thought this is France where leaving the house and travelling alone in the night is fine.

However, the CCPO later had apologized over his insensitive remarks.

In a statement after meeting Governor Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar in Lahore, Lahore CCPO said: “I apologize to the victim woman and all sections of society for my remarks.”

He said he didn’t mean anything wrong and if his statement has led to any misunderstanding, he then apologize to the victim and all those angered by it.

The governor said the CCPO’s statement has caused anger among the family members of the victim as well as society.

The city police chief also gave an explanation on his statement during the meeting.

His apology came after the Lahore High Court (LHC) has summoned him to appear before it this afternoon. A bench of the high court headed by Chief Justice Muhammad Qasim Khan was hearing a writ petition seeking the formation of a judicial commission to investigate the incident.

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