Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Operations Lahore Muhammad Faisal Kamran has issued a directive ordering staff to ensure that no woman remains inside any police station after sunset. The announcement triggered severe backlash on social media, with citizens slamming the move for restricting female visitors after Maghrib instead of improving police conduct.
The order was issued amid rising concerns regarding public safety, coming shortly after the arrest of an Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) in the Ghaziabad area for allegedly sexually assaulting a 19-year-old woman with a mental health condition after taking her away on a motorcycle.
The directive triggered immediate outrage across social media, with citizens slamming the move as an attempt to restrict victims rather than address misconduct within law enforcement ranks.
“So you are telling me our female guardians should also be avoided,” one user questioned on social media.
Multiple users pointed out that crime does not follow office hours. “If a police station isn’t a safe place for a woman, then where is? If a woman needs to register an FIR for a murder, assault, or any other serious crime, is she supposed to wait until sunrise,” a citizen posted, adding that justice does not work on a 9-to-5 schedule.
Another commenter echoed similar frustration regarding the fundamental duties of the police force, noting that after sunset, so-called justice will not be available either and questioning what kind of nation allows a situation where women cannot even visit a police station at night.
Netizens maintained that the department should focus on punishing internal offenders instead of barring female visitors. “DIG, punish your officials who have committed crimes and everything will fall in order. This is no solution to the police officials’ unacceptable behavior,” a user stated.
Another wrote that this indirectly means a police station is not a safe place for women at night and that officials turn into monsters after dark.
Several comments highlighted the systemic nature of the decision, noting that authorities will do everything except correct the environment inside police stations and enforce strict laws against harassment. Others pointed out that officials focus on creating confusion rather than finding effective solutions.
Social media users also questioned how the rule applies to women already in custody or those facing emergencies, asking whether female officers are also included and noting that if a woman is arrested, she would not be safe in jail after sunset either.
Instead of blanket bans, users called for structural reforms, including hiring more female officers and setting up dedicated desks. “The number of female police officers on all ranks needs to be increased in each and every police station and one female police officer of a higher rank in each police station. That’s the solution! Not banning women after Maghrib!” a post suggested.
