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LAHORE, Apr 15 (APP):The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Tuesday directed the Inspector General (IG) Punjab Police to submit a detailed report by April 16 regarding the forced shaving of heads of individuals involved in kite flying and aerial firing, and the subsequent circulation of their videos on social media by the police.
Justice Ali Zia Bajwa issued the directive while hearing petitions filed by Advocate Vishal Shakir, challenging the police’s actions.
During the proceedings, a video was played in the courtroom, showing suspects in aerial firing cases being publicly humiliated by having their heads forcibly shaved.
DIG Operations Lahore, Faisal Kamran, admitted the wrongdoing, calling it a “serious error.” He assured the court that such incidents would not be repeated. “We were instructed to prepare 10 to 15 videos daily. However, it was our fault that the content was not reviewed before being uploaded,” DIG Kamran told the court while offering an unconditional apology.
In response to a query from the bench, Kamran claimed he was not aware of the head-shaving incident beforehand. He assured the court that going forward, no videos would be posted on social media without the approval of the concerned Superintendent of Police (SP).
The court took strong exception to the incident, remarking that while the police have the authority to act within legal bounds, any unlawful behavior would not be tolerated.
“If any citizen is humiliated again, the responsible officer’s service record will reflect the misconduct,” the judge warned. “Six months ago, the IG Punjab gave an undertaking, yet similar incidents are still occurring,” he noted.
Advocate Shakir argued that the police’s official social media pages appear to be operated more like those of TikTok influencers than a professional law enforcement agency.
The court subsequently summoned a report from the IG Punjab and adjourned the hearing until Wednesday.
In a related development, the court also heard a contempt petition involving a dance party in Kasur, where suspects’ videos were allegedly recorded and shared on social media.
The Station House Officer (SHO) of the concerned police station appeared in court along with two constables. He submitted a written reply, stating that he was away from the station at the time of the incident due to his father’s hospitalization. The SHO offered an unconditional apology.
The two constables sought time to engage legal counsel. The court accepted the request and adjourned proceedings until Wednesday, April 16.