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       LAHORE: The Punjab government plans to increase the number of Special Sexual Offences Investigation Units (SSOIUs) across the province to investigate scheduled offences under the Anti-Rape (Investigation & Trial) Act of 2021 and offer better services to women in distress.

       In this regards, around 150 more SSOIUs would be added Punjab wide to probe the scheduled offences.

       Since a large number of cases were being reported and registered with little investigation and relief for the women in distress, Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz had discussed and instructed home secretary Noorul Amin Mengal to enhance the number of SSOIUs and appoint designated trained officers to help out women complainants.

       In the year 2021, some 33,680 cases of Schedule I&II offences were registered and the then government had established 115 SSOIUs with 710 officers/ officials.

       The Larger Bench of the Lahore High Court headed by the Chief Justice observed during hearing the petition “Wajid Ali vs the State” on January 20 that the existing strength of the SSOIUs were inadequate for the investigation of large number of scheduled offences. Moreover, the data of cases registered under the offences of Schedule I&II in the year 2024 reflected that 56,859 cases were registered against 33,680 cases in the year 2022. Therefore, the strength of SSOIUs needed to be enhanced from 115 units to 263 units in all Punjab districts.

       All the district heads of Punjab had proposed 263 units with 2,269 trained officers/officials for investigation of scheduled offences.

       On a summary moved by the IG Police Dr Usman Anwar to the chief minister earlier this week, the home secretary as well as law and parliamentary affairs secretary allowed the matter to be placed before the Punjab Cabinet through its Standing Committee on Legislative Business and Privatisation.

       An official privy to the developments told Dawn that the chief minister wanted that the wronged women should be heard and helped through women centric approach. The officials said the police had failed to help such women for being overburdened with a large number of criminal cases and remained unable to display priority and sensitivity to the cases.

       In the enhanced setup of SSOIUs, the official said the government planned that specifically trained inspectors and sub-inspectors and in some cases, ASIs would be posted at these units to pursue victim women’s cases instead of merely forcing them to go for settlements. According to a chart of distribution of staff at the investigation units, it reflected that 1597 male officers and 672 female officers would be posted across the province. “The active following of women centric cases and their results will give a trickle down effect and more and more women facing harassment would be able to knock at the door that will respond to their grievances,” the official explained.

       Published in Dawn, February 23rd, 2025