June 11, 2025
By Iqra Manzoor
LAHORE
A married woman was allegedly kidnapped and raped by four men in Pindi Kalu village, within the jurisdiction of Phalia Police Station in Mandi Bahauddin district, on June 8. Three of the four suspects have been arrested, while one, identified as Farhan, remains at large.
The FIR was registered under Sections 367 and 375-A of the Pakistan Penal Code against the suspects—Ali Hassan, Dilawar Shahzad, Sajid Ali, and Malik Farhan—by the complainant Jawad ul Hassan, the husband of the rape survivor.
Jawad, a resident of Sohawa Bolani, stated in the FIR that his wife, ‘R’, and his sister, ‘S’, had gone to Sarang village, where they were working to distribute meat. On their return, the two women were at the Mano Chak canal when the suspects—Ali Hassan, Sajid Ali, and Malik Farhan—arrived in a black car and abducted them. They were taken to an under-construction building in a deserted area of Pindi Kalu, where all four suspects allegedly gang-raped only the complainant’s wife before dropping both women back at the canal.
However not backing down, the complainant has demanded justice and a thorough investigation.
Investigation Officer Mazhar Hussain told Voicepk, “Three of the four suspects have been arrested, while one—Farhan—is still at large. However, the police are making every effort to apprehend him. The medico-legal examination of the survivor has been completed, and DNA samples have been sent for analysis. We are now awaiting the DNA report.”
He revealed, “When I spoke to the three suspects, they claimed that the act had been consensual and that a specific amount had been agreed upon with the woman. Farhan, a resident of Pind Kalu, allegedly arranged with her to provide sexual services in exchange for 15,000 rupees. According to the suspects, they paid her 5,000 rupees, while the remaining 10,000 was to be paid by Farhan, who fled the scene. They alleged that since the full amount was not paid, the woman and her husband filed a rape complaint against them.” He added that the suspects will be presented in court and the police will seek their remand.
Voicepk also spoke to the complainant, Jawad, who said, “The police have been very cooperative with us since the day we filed the complaint. They have arrested three suspects, and my wife has positively identified them.”
Despite the conflicting claims made by the police and the complainant, it is important to acknowledge that crimes against women—particularly gang rape, rape, kidnapping/abduction, domestic violence, and honour killings—are reported on a daily basis.
Meanwhile, in a separate incident, a 9-year-old girl was allegedly raped by a man named Muhammad Zahid. The girl’s paternal uncle, Shahbaz Hasan, filed a complaint with the police, and an FIR has been registered against Zahid under Section 376(3) of the Pakistan Penal Code. According to the FIR, the child had gone out to a nearby shop when Zahid took her to his house and raped her. She returned home in distress, crying, with her trousers soaked in blood. Upon inquiry, the family discovered that Zahid had raped her.
According to data from the Punjab Police website, 382 cases were registered between January 2025 and April 30, 2025. Of these, 226 gang rape cases have been challaned, 95 are still under investigation, 7 remain untraced, and 54 have been cancelled.
Data from the Sustainable Social Development Organization (SSDO) further shows that Punjab recorded the highest number of gender-based violence (GBV) cases in 2024 among all provinces, with 4,641 rape cases and 20,720 incidents of kidnapping or abduction.
Meanwhile, in a separate incident, a 9-year-old girl was allegedly raped by a man named Muhammad Zahid. The girl’s paternal uncle, Shahbaz Hasan, filed a complaint with the police, and an FIR has been registered against Zahid under Section 376(3) of the Pakistan Penal Code. According to the FIR, the child had gone out to a nearby shop when Zahid took her to his house and raped her. She returned home in distress, crying, with her trousers soaked in blood. Upon inquiry, the family discovered that Zahid had raped her.