Pakistan Deputy PM Ishaq Dar is facing resignation calls after his grandson was arrested in the alleged abduction and gangrape of two foreign women in Lahore.
One survivor has alleged before a magistrate that the women were sexually assaulted and released only after a USD 100,000 ransom was paid.
Senator Faisal Vawda has accused the government of shielding the accused and demanded Dar's resignation, saying the case has damaged Pakistan's international image.
Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar is facing mounting calls to resign after his grandson, Muhammad Raza Dar, was arrested as the prime accused in the alleged abduction and gangrape of two foreign women in Lahore.
The case has evolved into a political controversy after Senator Faisal Vawda, a lawmaker considered close to Pakistan's military establishment, accused the government of shielding the accused and demanded Dar step down. The controversy has intensified after one of the survivors alleged before a judicial magistrate that she was sexually assaulted and that the accused released the women only after receiving a ransom of USD 100,000.
What Is The Case About?
The case involves two women—one from the Netherlands and the other from Venezuela—who travelled to Pakistan after allegedly being invited for a cryptocurrency-related business venture.
According to investigators, Muhammad Raza Dar met the women in Singapore last year, where they reportedly became partners in a cryptocurrency venture, and later arranged business visas for their visit to Lahore. Police allege that after arriving on June 29, the women were abducted and sexually assaulted by a group of men.
One of the alleged victims, Astrid Gabriela Robinson Bracho, later recorded her statement before a judicial magistrate under Section 164 of Pakistan's Criminal Procedure Code. She alleged that armed men stormed the house where she and her friend were staying, tied them up, demanded access to cryptocurrency funds, and threatened to kill them if they did not hand over the money.
Astrid further alleged that she was taken upstairs, where two men sexually assaulted her while another stood guard with a rifle. According to her statement, the accused used her phone to contact relatives demanding ransom, and released the women only after receiving USD 100,000. She said the pair escaped after the vehicle transporting them to Lahore airport was involved in a collision, allowing them to alert passersby.
The two women have since returned to Europe after recording their statements and completing legal formalities with assistance from their embassies.
What Is The Cryptocurrency Angle?
Investigators believe the case may have stemmed from a dispute over cryptocurrency investments worth nearly USD 1.5 million (around Rs 450 million).
Police are also examining allegations that Muhammad Raza Dar lured the women to Pakistan under the pretext of business and later staged his own kidnapping to make the alleged abduction appear genuine while ransom negotiations continued. Authorities have not officially confirmed these allegations, saying the investigation is ongoing.
Why Is Ishaq Dar Facing Calls To Resign?
The political storm began after Senator Faisal Vawda demanded Ishaq Dar's resignation, arguing that Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister could not credibly represent the country internationally while his grandson faced such serious allegations.
Vawda claimed Muhammad Raza Dar was arrested only after the intervention of the relevant foreign embassy and accused both the federal and Punjab governments of attempting to protect him. Describing Pakistan as being "run like a family corporation", he said Dar should resign if there was any concern for the country's international image.
The senator also alleged that investigators were trying to portray the case as one of extortion rather than rape and claimed there were attempts to send the two foreign women out of Pakistan before the investigation concluded. He further criticised the ruling coalition for remaining silent on the case.
Ishaq Dar has not publicly responded to the resignation demands. Meanwhile, police say the investigation remains underway, with eight suspects arrested so far.
