Lahore Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police Kamran Faisal on Sunday maintained there was zero political pressure on law enforcers to absolve “prime” suspect Ahmad Raza Dar—a relative of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar—over his involvement in the abduction and sexual assault of foreign women in the Punjab capital.
Addressing a press conference, he vowed the investigation would proceed without any fear or favor. Sharing the sequence of events, he said police had conducted raids in several locations, including Sargodha, after learning of the women’s abduction. “When we learnt of the family tree of one of the suspects [Dar] after speaking to inhabitants at one of the raided houses, we learnt the family had rented the house some time back and were likely related to the deputy prime minister,” he confirmed. He said authorities had then contacted the family and learnt the suspect’s latest phone number, which was used to trace his location.
According to the DIG, they had informed senior command and the government of the involvement of a potentially high-profile individual and were given strict instructions to treat him no differently than any other criminal. He said the probe had also found the involvement of a “criminal gang,” rather than an isolated individual.
Rebutting reports the police had not played any role in the recovery of the women, he pointed to call records of the 15 police helpline and the embassies of Spain, Venezuela and the Netherlands. He maintained this background work had proven instrumental in the recovery of the foreigners. He said the suspects were tracked through Safe City cameras, mobile phone data and vehicle records, adding four were taken into custody on July 2.
The DIG said the women had escaped after the suspect’s vehicle during a traffic altercation and had sought refuge in a nearby shop from where officers had rescued them.
Explaining the progress into the investigation thus far, he said the consent of both victims was secured prior to their medical examination. He also noted it had taken some convincing to have the women record their statements before a judicial magistrate, as in their trauma they had wished to leave the country as soon as possible. They eventually left after recording their statements on July 3, he added.
On the matter of police suspending a station house officer (SHO), he said the cop had forcibly entered the official residence of a magistrate to expedite the recording of statements. Apologizing to the judiciary for the incident, he stressed that while the approach was flawed, the intent was not. “If that had not happened, our media and international forums would have raised questions over our legal system,” he said, stressing action was taken against the SHO.
Faisal said the police’s next test was ensuring there were no legal loopholes in the case.
He said the case would be investigated by Lahore police instead of the Crime Control Department, maintaining it did not fall within the latter’s jurisdiction. He said the Punjab Police’s specialized rape investigation cell was examining the case.
Suspects in custody
Reportedly, the total number of suspects currently in custody has now reached eight, including the “boss” referred to by the women in their statement, as well as three security guards. The “boss” in question, per police, was arrested injured and is described as a “notorious criminal.”
The “boss,” per reports had supplied the staff to execute the plan devised by the other suspects, with call records validating this.
Sources within the police say forensic evidence has matched the DNA of three of the suspects with the rape and assault of the two women. Reportedly the three accused have been identified as Nawaz, Sajid and Sikandar. The forensics of the DNA of the remaining five suspects are ongoing.
The case stems from a meeting between Dar, the prime suspect, and one of the victims at a conference in Singapore in 2025. Reportedly, Dar invested $60,000 with the woman and received a profit of $20,000 in return. Subsequently, he invested another $500,000 but did not receive the returns he anticipated. The suspect then allegedly decided to invite the woman to Pakistan on the pretext of a major business deal and hatched a plot to abduct her to force her to return the funds to him.
Another case
Apart from the abduction and sexual assault cases, Dar is facing another case pertaining to the vehicle he crashed into while trying to convince the women to fly out of the country. According to the complainant, he was driving toward Bhatta Chowk when another vehicle crashed into his car on Airport Road before fleeing the scene. He has estimated the collision damage at Rs. 300,000.
According to the DIG, this crash played a significant role in helping police locate the victims.