DIG Operations Faisal Kamran said on Sunday that the Punjab Chief Minister has directed the handling of the alleged kidnapping and assault of two foreign women strictly on merit.
Speaking at a press conference, he emphasised that those responsible will face legal consequences.
The case gained public attention after Lahore’s Defence C Police Station registered a first information report (FIR) against five suspects, including Muhammad Raza Dar, who has been identified as the grandson of a DPM/Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar. The accused face allegations of kidnapping, extortion and sexual assault involving two foreign nationals — one from Venezuela and the other from the Netherlands.
Police officials said that, in addition to the five suspects already in custody, four more individuals have been detained for questioning after being identified during the investigation. The main suspects, including Dar, remain on physical remand.
Providing details of the investigation, Kamran said the two women arrived in Lahore on June 29 and were allegedly abducted shortly afterwards. He said investigators tracked the suspects by identifying the vehicle used in the incident and analysing its movement through the Safe City surveillance network.
According to him, the vehicle was traced travelling on the motorway toward Sargodha, while separate raids were carried out in Lahore’s Shahdara and Defence areas.
Kamran said the first ransom-related call was received on July 1 from a man identified as Carlos, who informed police that Spanish authorities had also been alerted. On the same day, the Safe City Authority received an emergency call through its helpline regarding the incident.
Police subsequently traced the suspects using mobile phone records, vehicle information and location data, leading to the arrest of four individuals on July 2.
According to investigators, suspect Raza Dar later drove the two women toward the airport. During the journey, an altercation took place near Bhatta Chowk, causing the vehicle to crash. The women managed to escape the vehicle and sought refuge in a nearby filter house, where police later located and rescued them.
Rejecting reports suggesting the women had escaped without police assistance, Kamran said their statements clearly confirmed that they had been rescued by the Punjab Police.
He added that the victims’ statements were recorded before a magistrate rather than in the presence of police officers to ensure legal transparency. Following medical examinations and completion of the required legal formalities, the women were permitted to leave Pakistan.
Kamran further said the relevant embassy had requested the women’s immediate departure, but investigators sought an additional day to complete the recording of their statements before allowing them to travel.
The DIG also revealed that once investigators discovered that one of the suspects was related to a well-known political personality, senior police officials were informed, and the family was contacted to verify the information before further legal proceedings continued.
