A woman in Lahore had to tender an apology after being rescued by Police from a mob that surrounded her for wearing a dress with Arabic calligraphy on it.

In videos that went viral on social media, the woman can be seen inside a restaurant wearing a dress with Arabic calligraphy on it in different colours. The incident took place in Ichra.

In the videos, multiple police officials including Dolphin Squad members can be seen on the scene. Gulberg ASP Sheherbano Naqvi can be seen reasoning with the crowd after which she escorts the woman out of the shop with an arm around her.

The woman is in a black burqa by the time she is taken out of the shop.

In a video issued later, the ASP said that the woman had arrived at the restaurant with her husband. Another man in the video said that there were ‘no wrong words;’ on the dress but their ‘designing’ had made it look like Arabic. The man added that the woman has decided to apologise as well.

The woman, still clad in the burqa, then proceeds to narrate her ordeal. She said that she had picked the dress because of its design and did not think there was Arabic written on it.

She said that she had no intention for any harm but still apologised. She added that she could not even think of disrespecting anything related to Islam.

In a later post on X, Punjab Police said that the ASP has been recommended by the IG for a gallantry award.

Chairman Pakistan Ulema Council Tahir Mahmood Ashrafi said that the incident amounted to harassment and the woman should not have been made to apologise.

He added that the council condemned the incident, and the perpetrators should be booked under anti-terrorism laws.