In Lahore, timely action by the police saved a teenage girl wearing a dress with Arabic calligraphy printed on it from being attacked by a charged mob accusing her of blasphemy. The incident took place in the crowded Ichra Bazaar on Sunday. The situation escalated when someone alleged that the girl’s dress bore Quranic verses. However, some shopkeepers defended the girl, explaining to the mob that it was just Arabic calligraphy print.
Eyewitnesses noted that most of the people in the mob were customers, visitors, or passersby, and the garment traders who came to the girl’s rescue were familiar with the clothing featuring Arabic calligraphy available in the market. A video circulating on social media showed the terrified girl hiding in a shop, denying the allegations of insulting religion and explaining that the type of clothing she was wearing was common in Gulf states.
The shopkeepers supported her statement, emphasizing that clothes with Islamic/Arabic calligraphy were encouraged in the industry and that the words on her shirt had no connection to holy verses. Despite the traders’ explanation, some zealots in the mob persisted with the blasphemy charges, prompting one trader to call the police to prevent any harm to the girl.
Police officials arrived at the scene and quickly took the girl into protective custody, moving her to the police station under heightened security. Senior police officers examined the dress and clarified to the crowd that no disrespect to religion had occurred. ASP Shehr Bano addressed the mob, reassuring them that no blasphemous act had taken place and personally escorted the girl out of the crowd.
During her time in custody, the ASP briefed the media, explaining that the Arabic calligraphy on the girl’s dress did not contain Quranic verses. The girl, from a religious family, vehemently denied the allegations of blasphemy, emphasizing her respect for Islam.