Father extradited from Pakistan to Italy in ‘honour killing’ case
In Rome, on Thursday, the Italian justice minister made an announcement regarding the extradition of a man who stands accused of murdering his 18-year-old daughter.
Shabbar Abbas, the accused, had been apprehended in his village in Punjab back in November of the previous year under suspicion of being involved in the death of Saman Abbas.
Saman had gone missing in April 2021 after refusing to comply with her family’s wishes for an arranged marriage in Pakistan.
Justice Minister Carlo Nordio issued a statement, hailing this development as a significant step toward ensuring that justice is served in the wake of a horrifying crime. He also confirmed that the suspect was en route to Italy.
The identity of the teenage victim was established through dental records, following the discovery of human remains in proximity to her family residence in the northern Italian town of Novellara. This discovery occurred more than a year after Saman had disappeared.
Prosecutors maintain that the family’s anger was provoked upon learning of Saman’s romantic relationship with a boyfriend in Italy.
According to their allegations, she met her tragic end when she returned to her family’s home to retrieve some documents, after residing nearby for a period under the supervision of social services.
Four women were subjected to sexual assault in different incidents
A wave of distressing sexual assault incidents has rocked the provincial capital, with four women, among them a ninth-grade student, reportedly falling victim to these heinous crimes.
These events unfolded on August 28, prompting police to launch investigations and file cases against the suspected perpetrators. Regrettably, as of now, no arrests have been made in any of the cases. It has been reported that certain suspects have secured pre-arrest bail, while others remain evasive.
The most alarming incident involved a ninth-grade student residing in Old Anarkali, who alleges that she was subjected to gang rape by two individuals inside a hotel room.
In her formal complaint, she revealed that she had established a friendship with an individual referred to as ‘A’ through social media. ‘A’ had promised her an overseas job opportunity and claimed to have influential friends running businesses in foreign countries.
On August 28, she recounted how ‘A’ offered her a part-time job at a hotel. He picked her up from Kalma Chowk and took her to a juice corner before driving her to a hotel belonging to his friend in Gulberg.
Subsequently, they ushered her into a room, where she alleges that she endured a harrowing gang rape at gunpoint. Disturbingly, the perpetrators also recorded video clips of the assault, which they later used as blackmail material.
The victim disclosed that the suspects had threatened to publicly share the video clips on social media if she dared to seek police intervention, as stated in her First Information Report (FIR).
In another incident, a victim identified as ‘A,’ residing in Faisal Town, claimed that her female friend facilitated her contact with an individual identified as ‘M,’ who had promised her a job opportunity.
While she awaited her friend at a restaurant, ‘M’ arrived in a car accompanied by a male companion. Both suspects then transported her to a residence under the pretext of offering employment, where she alleges she was subjected to a distressing gang rape before the perpetrators hastily departed the scene.
Police have registered a case against both suspects based on the victim’s complaint; however, no arrests have been made thus far.
In a separate case, a resident of Amir Town, ‘S,’ filed a rape complaint with the Misri Shah police on behalf of his wife against the alleged perpetrator, ‘L.’
In the FIR, ‘S’ asserted that ‘L’ was a friend who frequently visited their home. He detailed how, during a recent visit, ‘L’ had extended a job offer to his wife, enticing her with an attractive package to work at a girls’ hostel.
On August 28, ‘S’ recounted how his wife, while shopping, received a call from ‘L,’ instructing her to meet him at a designated location for transportation to the hostel job.
Upon reaching the specified point, the suspect led her to a residence where he allegedly sexually assaulted her before fleeing the scene, leaving her stranded on an isolated road.
In the Manawan area, another incident unfolded as ‘K’ allegedly lured a woman, identified as ‘S,’ to a residence under the pretence of returning an amount worth Rs45,000. Tragically, upon reaching the house, ‘K’ is accused of sexually assaulting her before swiftly making his escape, according to the police.
These distressing incidents have raised significant concerns about the safety and security of women in Lahore and have ignited calls for swift and effective action against the perpetrators to ensure justice for the victims.
