By Sheikh J. Hussain
LondonJawadkhayal@icloud.com
On Monday 24 August 2026, an army officer arrived at Sarhad University Islamabad campus not on any military assignment but to stand beside a family member who serves as the Head of Student Affairs at the university. She had been surrounded and harassed by a group of people on campus, and he came to escort her safely away from a threatening and difficult situation. The woman was encircled and under pressure, and the officer stepped in to protect her. Yet the confrontation turned physical when someone from the civilian side attacked him. This incident raises far larger questions than one moment of conflict. It exposes a dangerous mindset that must be addressed.
Some people claim that society has grown disrespectful toward the uniform. But we must remember the warmth with which people greeted and saluted our soldiers on the streets after Operation Sandur. We still walk with pride because of the flags our armed forces have raised across the world. There is no widespread movement to disrespect the uniform. What exists instead is deep malice in the hearts of a small group of people who seize every opportunity to release it. That hatred may be political or it may be something else, but it is not shared by the nation. It belongs only to those who harbour it.We must never forget what our armed forces stand for. These are the men and women who stand guard day and night to protect the honour of our mothers, sisters, and daughters. They are the ones who defend the borders of this country, and who are ready to lay down their lives for the safety and dignity of every citizen. When an officer steps forward to safeguard a family member from harm, he is doing exactly what we expect every brave and honourable person to do. He is showing the same courage and sense of duty that he brings to his service for the whole nation. There is no shame in this. There is only pride. And any person who stands by while a woman is being harassed is not worthy of respect himself. To attack a man who is protecting his family is an act of utter brutality. It is shameful beyond words, and those who did it deserve the strictest possible punishment under the law.
The military has its own system of accountability and its own laws that are far stricter than those that apply to civilians. The military authorities will take whatever action is needed according to their own regulations. But those who harassed the Head of Student Affairs in her workplace and then physically attacked the officer must also be held fully responsible under the laws that apply to civilians. They must be identified questioned and prosecuted according to civil law. There is no reason why they should be treated more leniently simply because they are not in uniform. If anything, they started the conflict and created the entire situation, and they must face the consequences of their actions. Those who committed this act of brutality must be brought to justice and given the highest punishment they deserve. There can be no compromise here.Around the world attacking a serving officer is taken very seriously.
In the United States it is treated as a serious crime carrying up to five years imprisonment and heavy fines. In the United Kingdom assaulting an on-duty officer brings a sentence from two years up to life imprisonment. In Saudi Arabia attacking security personnel carries three to ten years in prison and foreigners are deported immediately. Under Pakistan’s own law Section 353 assaulting a public servant carries punishment from two years imprisonment all the way up to life and in severe cases even the death penalty. Canada imposes five to fourteen years and Singapore adds corporal punishment. These laws exist not to favour the uniform but to protect the order and safety of society.This is not about taking sides. It is about upholding the rule of law. We cannot allow one set of rules to be used only when it suits a certain narrative. We cannot allow malice and political bias to decide who is right and who is wrong. The law must apply equally to the staff member the student the soldier and the civilian. But above all, the law must protect the weak and hold accountable those who use force to harm others.
We must also ask our educational institutions to reflect. Universities are meant to teach respect and critical thinking. If young people grow up believing that surrounding a woman and attacking her family member is acceptable behaviour then we have failed to teach them the most basic lessons of all. Respect for women respect for dignity and respect for the law are not political lessons. They are the foundation of any civilised society. If we lose these values, we lose everything.The real lesson here is simple. Justice means everyone is answerable according to the laws that apply to them.
The military system will deal with the officer if any wrongdoing is found. The civilian legal system must deal with those who started the trouble. Those who harassed the woman and attacked her family member must face the highest punishment they deserve under the law. Until this happens we cannot say we live in a just society. And until we teach our children that malice and disrespect have no place in our society we will continue to face incidents that divide us. We must stand for the uniform not because it is above the law but because it represents the service that protects the law. And we must stand for justice not just for one person but for every person regardless of who they are. Above all, we must stand for the protection and respect of every woman in our society, and we must honour those who are willing to stand up and defend them. That is the true mark of a civilised nation.
