LAHORE: Bus conductor Ali Rizwan apologised in a video shared on Saturday after his dismissal over alleged mistreatment of a female passenger. Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif had ordered his arrest.
Rizwan was accused of misbehaving with the woman and pushing her off a Lahore Green Electric Bus. Footage of the encounter circulated on social media, where users demanded action against the employee.
Punjab Transport and Mass Transit Minister Bilal Akbar Khan ordered immediate action after taking notice of the incident. He condemned the conduct and apologised on behalf of the Transport Department.
Lahore bus conductor Rizwan subsequently lost his job following an internal review by the bus management. Its termination notice cited footage of the encounter as evidence considered during the disciplinary process.
Management found that he had failed to meet its passenger-handling standards, professional conduct requirements and corporate code of conduct. It terminated his employment on disciplinary grounds. Sharif, however, considered dismissal insufficient.
Writing on X, she directed police to arrest the conductor and arrange a public apology. She instructed authorities to take him to the affected woman’s home so he could apologise to her publicly.
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Sharif criticised the treatment of the passenger, saying employees had not been hired to push members of the public around. In a subsequent statement, she confirmed the incident occurred in Lahore and identified Deputy Inspector General Faisal Kamran as the officer she had directed to act immediately.
In the video she later shared, Rizwan expressed shame over his behaviour towards the passenger. “I apologise to her and the entire nation,” he said. He expressed remorse and promised not to treat anyone that way again.
