Two women were allegedly abducted and gang raped by five men shortly after arriving in a foreign country. Police have confirmed that four of the suspects have been arrested while the fifth remains at large.
The victims, from the Netherlands and Venezuela, were allegedly abducted shortly after arriving in Pakistan on Monday, June 29. They were then reportedly taken to a house in Lahore before being gang raped by five men. The attackers are said to have demanded ransom for their release before police rushed to the scene and arrested them.
As reported by India Today, the force were called by one of the victim’s fathers who reported her missing. They then launched an immediate search before tracking the women down and arresting the suspects.
The alleged attackers have been named as Muhammad Raza Dar, Hassan Raza, Sikandar Khan and Sajid Ali. Meanwhile, a fifth suspect remains at large and police are continuing to hunt him down.
According to local reports, the first suspect Muhammad Raza Dar is a relative of Pakistan Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar. The suspect is accused of inviting the women to Pakistan after meeting them in Singapore last October.
He then allegedly organised their abduction and rape after they touched down in the country. Police said Raza Dar even organised the visas for their visit.
A local officer said: “Since it is a very sensitive matter as a close relative of Deputy PM Ishaq Dar is involved in this high-profile case, police are investigating it from all aspects.”
Meanwhile, a court official said the women identified Raza Dar as the “prime suspect” when the four accused were produced before a magistrate. Police are continuing to search for the fifth suspect who remains at large.
Lahore police registered a case against five suspects on Thursday (July 2) under sections 365A (kidnapping) and 375A (gang rape) of the Pakistan Penal Code.
Lahore, which has a population of over 14 million people, is the second largest city in Pakistan. It is the capital of the nation’s Punjab province in the north-eastern area of the country.
