Lahore Deputy Inspector General (Operations) Faisal Kamran on Sunday stated that police are treating a suspect reportedly linked to a senior government minister no differently from any other criminal in the investigation into the alleged abduction and sexual assault of two foreign women. The case has drawn significant attention due to the suspect's alleged political connections.
Rescue and Arrests
Police rescued two foreign women within hours of receiving an emergency complaint on Thursday, arrested four suspects, and launched an investigation into allegations of kidnapping, ransom demands, and sexual assault. The swift action by law enforcement led to the safe recovery of the victims.
Investigation Details
Addressing a press conference in Lahore, DIG Kamran clarified that the case is being investigated by Lahore police instead of the Crime Control Department (CCD), as it did not fall within the latter's jurisdiction. He emphasized that the Punjab police's specialized rape investigation cell is examining the case. Although the CCD has handled similar cases in the past, this matter is under Lahore police's purview.
Timeline of Events
Providing a detailed timeline, Kamran said the two foreign women arrived in Islamabad on June 26 before traveling to Lahore on June 29. At around midnight on July 1, the Safe City Authority received information from a man identified as Carlos, who reported that his daughter had been abducted in Pakistan and that he had received a ransom demand. Police subsequently launched an investigation using relevant phone numbers, vehicle registration details, travel records, and footage from safe city cameras, while conducting raids in Shahdara, Defence, Sargodha, and other areas. The recovery of the women was the top priority, Kamran stated.
Suspect Identification and Political Links
Investigators traced the family tree of a suspect and carried out raids at various locations. During one raid, residents of a house informed police that the suspect's family had previously lived there as tenants and was believed to have links with the deputy prime minister. The suspect was later identified as Mohammad Raza Dar. Police verified the information with the suspect's family, obtained his phone number, and began tracing his location.
DIG Kamran noted that senior police officials and the government were informed after investigators discovered the suspect's alleged links to a senior political figure. He received strict instructions from the government that the suspect should not be treated any differently from any other criminal. The investigators are also examining the possibility that a gang, rather than a single individual, was involved in the incident.
Victim Recovery and Medical Examination
According to the DIG, the suspect was driving the two women to the airport when an altercation broke out inside the vehicle near Bhatta Chowk. During the scuffle, the vehicle collided with an object, after which the women jumped out and sought refuge at a nearby filtration plant, from where police recovered them safely. Kamran said judicial magistrate's orders were required before the women's medical examination could be conducted. As the magistrate was not on duty and the women were scheduled to leave Pakistan the following morning, a station house officer was sent to the magistrate's residence late at night to obtain the necessary orders. Kamran apologized for that inconvenience.
Diplomatic Involvement
Police contacted the embassies of Spain and the Netherlands after recovering the women. The Spanish embassy informed investigators that one of the women was a Venezuelan national. Following consultations with the embassies, the women agreed to undergo medical examinations and later consented to recording their statements before a magistrate under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. Kamran said the embassies had also requested that the women be repatriated at the earliest, adding that police were continuing to investigate all aspects of the case.
