In an unusual request, Punjab Police has asked DIG Legal Punjab not to disclose information about violence against women in the province under the Access to Information Act, 2013.
The police department is of the opinion that making such reports public instills fear in the community. In a letter to DIG Legal, the AIG Gender Crimes explained the reasons for this request.
The police official gave an example of a case, where an NGO sought the details of Syed Kausar Abbas vs. Punjab Police case. When the NGO was granted access to the information, it shared it across several TV channels, causing panic in society.
The AIG added that the civil society organization had assured not to disclose the information.
Taking this case into consideration, the official requested the DIG Legal to grant an exemption from disclosing information under Section 13(h) of the Access to Information Act, 2013.
Chief Information Commissioner Mehboob Qadir Shah explained that even though there are certain exemptions in 13(h), however, none of them is applicable to this scenario.
According to a recent report published by the War Against Rape (WAR), 21,900 women were sexually assaulted in Punjab in four years.
The report cites data obtained from the Punjab Home Department and the Ministry of Human Rights from 2017 to 2021.
