August 11, 2026
By Iqra Manzoor & Aitzaz Ibrahim
LAHORE
A 17-year-old girl identified as ‘M’, allegedly killed herself after being gang-raped by five men in Mandi Bahauddin’s Sanda Shareef village, with police adding a provision relating to gang rape to the case as the investigation into the circumstances surrounding her death continues.
The girl’s mother had already died, according to the family.
Taken to hospital before death
According to the FIR registered on August 9 under Section 322 of the Pakistan Penal Code, the girl’s father, ‘Z’, a shopkeeper and resident of Sanda Shareef, told police that he had gone to Bhabra at around 8am on August 8 to buy groceries, leaving his daughter alone at home.
He said he was later informed that his daughter had fallen ill and had been taken to the Basic Health Unit (BHU) in Sanda. From there, she was referred to the District Headquarters Hospital (DHQ) in Mandi Bahauddin, where she died during treatment.
The complainant said he eventually returned home with his daughter’s body.
According to the FIR, ‘Z’ was told by two men, Khalid and Aurangzeb, that five suspects — Hammad, Hasnaat, Qaiser, Faisal and Adnan — had allegedly gang-raped his daughter at the house of a man identified as Hamid Miana.
The FIR further states that following the alleged gang rape, the girl attempted suicide by cutting her left wrist and later consumed poison, which resulted in her death.
Police add gang rape provision
The case was initially registered under Section 322 of the Pakistan Penal Code.
However, Investigating Officer Akhtar Parvez told Voicepk that a provision relating to gang rape has also subsequently been added to the FIR.
Parvez said the police were investigating the matter from all angles and were working to apprehend the five nominated suspects.
“A police team is making efforts to arrest the suspects and they will be arrested soon,” he said.
The investigating officer further said that samples collected during the deceased girl’s medico-legal examination had been sent to the PFSA for analysis.
He said the forensic findings would assist investigators in determining the cause of death and establishing whether the girl had been subjected to sexual assault.
The police have not reported any arrests in connection with the case so far.
Punjab records high number of rape cases
The case comes amid persistently high levels of violence against women in Punjab.
According to the Sustainable Social Development Organisation’s (SSDO) Violence Against Women Punjab 2025 factsheet, an average of 85 women faced violence every day in the province between January and June 2025, while nine rape cases were reported daily during the same period.
The report recorded a total of 1,651 rape cases in Punjab during the six-month period, including 47 cases reported in Mandi Bahauddin.
Investigation underway
The allegations of gang rape remain under investigation, with forensic evidence and the medico-legal findings expected to assist police in determining whether sexual assault occurred and the circumstances surrounding the girl’s death.
Voicepk also contacted the family of the deceased for comment, but no response was received at the time of publication.