Pakistan Deputy PM's Relative Among Four Arrested in Alleged Assault on Foreign Women
Lahore police have arrested four men, including a relative of Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, in connection with the alleged gangrape of two foreign women, authorities confirmed on Friday.
The suspects, identified as Muhammad Raza Dar, Hassan Raza, Sikandar Khan, and Sajid Ali, were presented before a court in Lahore on Friday and sent to five-day police remand. Muhammad Raza Dar is a relative of Deputy Prime Minister Dar, according to police officials.
The victims, one a Dutch national and the other from Venezuela, were allegedly kidnapped and sexually assaulted by five men in Lahore on June 29. Police said they rescued the women after receiving a call from one of the victims' fathers from Spain.
According to police records, the women met Muhammad Raza Dar in Singapore in October 2025, and he invited them to visit Pakistan. A police official informed reporters that the women and Raza Dar were partners in a cryptocurrency venture, and Raza Dar arranged business visas for their travel. They arrived in Lahore on June 29.
Upon arrival, the women allege that Raza Dar and the other suspects kidnapped them, took them to a house, and gangraped them. The suspects also demanded a ransom for their release, the victims told police.
Lahore police registered a case on Thursday under sections 365A (kidnapping) and 375A (gang rape) of the Pakistan Penal Code. Four suspects have been arrested; the fifth accused remains at large, and raids are ongoing to apprehend him, police said.
During the court proceeding, a magistrate reportedly allowed the women to identify the accused, and they pointed to Raza Dar as the prime suspect. The court granted police remand for further investigation.
Police officials stated that the investigation is being conducted with due diligence given the sensitive nature of the case and the involvement of a relative of a high-ranking official. They assured that all legal procedures are being followed.
