Opposition seeks Punjab Assembly session over alleged rape of foreign women

LAHORE: The opposition in the Punjab Assembly has submitted a requisition seeking an emergency session to question the provincial government over the alleged rape of two foreign women and to raise concerns about law and order, prison conditions and the rural economy.

The requisition was submitted by Opposition Leader in the Punjab Assembly Moeen Riaz Qureshi along with Sheikh Imtiaz, Rana Shahbaz and Farrukh Javed Moon. In the document, the opposition described the alleged rape of the two foreign nationals as a major setback that had damaged the image of Punjab and Pakistan internationally.

According to the requisition, Qureshi said the provincial government had failed to ensure public safety, citing what he called a rise in street crime, robberies, murders, kidnappings and violence against women that had deepened insecurity among citizens.

Prison conditions and PTI detainees

Beyond the law and order issue, the opposition also called for a legislative review of prison conditions and the treatment of political detainees in Punjab. Qureshi alleged human rights abuses in provincial jails and specifically referred to the absence of basic healthcare facilities.

The requisition also expressed concern over the health and treatment of incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan, demanding that he be given his legal entitlements, including family meetings and immediate access to personal doctors in line with prison rules.

Qureshi further called for an independent inquiry into the alleged torture of political workers and what he termed the mysterious deaths of several PTI activists after their release from prison and police custody.

PTI Kissan Wing criticism

Separately, on World Rural Development Day, PTI Punjab Kissan Wing General Secretary Mian Ejaz Shafi criticised the provincial government’s rural and agriculture policies. He said flagship measures such as the Kisan Card and tube-well solarisation scheme were cosmetic publicity stunts completely detach from ground realities.

Shafi said rural poverty in Punjab had reached 23.3 per cent in the 2024-25 fiscal year and linked the increase to broader economic mismanagement that, he said, had pushed 27 million people in Pakistan below the poverty line over the past six years.

He further said rural food insecurity had risen from 15.9pc to 24.4pc, leaving families to spend much of their income on food while still facing severe malnutrition. He also said 40pc of children under five in rural areas suffered from stunted growth.

Referring to south Punjab, Shafi said more than 46pc of children were underweight and 56pc suffered from anaemia. He added that wheat production costs had climbed to Rs4,000 per maund and said the failure of official procurement systems had worsened the situation. He also criticised the government’s plan to develop 2,400 model villages, saying it was inadequate for a province with more than 27,000 villages, and called for structural and lasting policy changes.