A man identified as Usman Mirza has been arrested by the Islamabad police after a video of him brutally assaulting a young woman and man started circulating on social media.
Mirza’s accomplice Farhan was also arrested. A search for the third accused in the video is underway. The arrested accused will be produced in court today.
The incident’s FIR registered on July 6, reports that the incident took place within Golra police station limits at an apartment building in sector E-11/2. The case was registered on the complaint of a sub-inspector.
The FIR said that in the humiliating acts, “The video of the incident went viral on social media. In the video, five to six men can be seen keeping the victims in custody under gunpoint. The accused also stripped the man and the woman naked while threatening them,” adding that the suspects were also doing “vulgar acts”
A video of Mirza assaulting and getting violent against a young couple sparked outrage across Pakistani Twitter, with #ArrestUsmanMirza appearing on the top trends. Mirza can be seen violently thrashing and harassing the young couple in a room full of other men.
Within a few hours of the video going viral, the Islamabad police took Mirza into custody and registered an FIR in the case. Hours later, the deputy commissioner Hamza Safqaat reported that all the suspects had been arrested.
The incident, which was highlighted on social media, quickly became the top trend in the country with netizens calling for strict punishment for the main accused, identified as Usman Mirza.
“Monsters like Usman Mirza are the product of a culture in which they know they can commit horrific violence with impunity. Unfortunately, women face the brunt of our system’s brutality,” said activist Ammar Ali Jan.
Journalist Najia Ashar said just arresting the culprit was not enough. She wrote with anger, “Make an example out of this monster.”
PPP leader Naz Baloch said that instant justice and speedy trial of heinous offenses is the only solution to root out violence against women. In the disturbing video, Mirza can be seen violently thrashing and harassing the young couple in a room full of other men. Old videos showing the accused’s weapons have also come to light.
Mirza reportedly threatened the young man and woman when some people tried to stop him.
Mirza is reportedly a property dealer. In an update on the case, PTI MNA Maleeka Bokhari tweeted that the Islamabad IG is leading the investigation.
