Pakistani authorities in Lahore arrest four people, including a relative of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, in connection with an alleged gang rape of two foreign women. The suspects are identified as Muhammad Raza Dar, Hassan Raza, Sikandar Khan and Sajid Ali. A Lahore court remands the four men to five days of police custody for further investigation.
According to police and investigators, the two women—one from the Netherlands and the other from Venezuela—report that they met Muhammad Raza Dar in Singapore in connection with a cryptocurrency venture. Police say he allegedly arranged visas and invited them to Pakistan for business purposes. The women arrive in Lahore on June 29 and, in their accounts, are abducted shortly after landing. The victims allege they are taken to a house in Lahore, where they are held and gang raped by the accused.
Authorities say they receive an emergency call from Spain made by the father of one victim, leading to an operation and the women’s rescue. Police register a case under kidnapping for ransom and gang rape provisions, and report that one additional accused remains absconding while raids continue.
