A 20-year-old Azerbaijani woman has alleged that she was gang-raped at a rented apartment in a private housing society near Raiwind, Lahore. Police have so far arrested three suspects in connection with the case, while efforts are continuing to apprehend another accused who remains at large.
The survivor told police that she had travelled to Pakistan for business purposes and had visited Islamabad, Faisalabad and Lahore before the alleged incident. According to her statement, she met two women in Lahore before being taken to a house and later an apartment where several men were present.
She alleged that three men sexually assaulted her after preventing her from leaving the apartment. She further claimed that the suspects later forced her into a car, abandoned her at an unknown location and threatened her against approaching the police.
Police registered an FIR on September 26 and have arrested three suspects so far. A woman suspect was sent to jail on a 14-day judicial remand after her physical remand ended, while two male suspects were previously placed on physical remand. Another woman named by the survivor has obtained interim pre-arrest bail.
Deputy Inspector General Investigation Syed Zeeshan Raza said forensic samples from the survivor and suspects had been collected and sent for analysis. Police said the investigation is ongoing and efforts are being made to arrest the remaining suspect.
The case has raised concerns about the safety of foreign visitors in Lahore and comes months after another reported case involving foreign women in the same Defence C police jurisdiction.
