- Police officers suspended for filing gang-rape FIR.
- Police suspension widely seen as political cover-up.
- Four accused received remand; powerful
- Case highlights elite’s abuse of power, institutional corruption.
In a dramatic escalation of a high-profile gang rape scandal in Pakistan in which the prime accused is a close relative (grandson) of the country’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Dr Ishaq Dar, a severe crackdown has been launched against the police officers who registered the initial criminal case. On the orders of the Inspector General (IG) of Punjab Police, Station House Officer (SHO) of Lahore’s Defence C Police Station, Faryad Ashraf, has been suspended and taken into custody alongside two other police officials.
The Initial Abduction and Gang Rape FIR
The crisis began when Lahore’s Defence C Police Station officially registered a First Information Report (FIR) against Muhammad Raza Dar, a close relative (grandson) of Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Dr Ishaq Dar, and his associates on charges of gang rape and abduction for ransom. This initial FIR was registered based on the harrowing complaints of two foreign nationals, Dutch citizen Stefanie Adnana Maroun and Venezuelan citizen Astrid Robinson Bracho, who alleged they were kidnapped and raped.
Counter-Charges and the Suspicious Suspension of Police
Exactly 24 hours after booking the Deputy PM’s close relative, a fierce counter-offensive was launched against the law enforcement team. The state justified the sudden detention of the SHO by registering a separate, second FIR today over an incident dating back to July 1. According to this FIR, SHO Faryad Ashraf and his team allegedly trespassed into the private residence of Judicial Magistrate Azhar Mahmood, issued threats, and pressured him to speak with the DIG Operations over the phone.
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Allegations of Political Cover-Up from the Punjab CM Office
However, sources strongly refute this narrative, revealing a deep-seated political conspiracy behind the sudden actions against the police. Sources state that the direct command to suspend and detain the SHO came straight from the office of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz. The FIR regarding the three-day-old trespassing allegation was reportedly weaponised as a convenient cover to punish the police unit immediately after they dared to entertain the foreign nationals’ complaints against Ishaq Dar’s close relative.
The Superior Command and the Scapegoat Scenario
Sources further claim that the SHO was merely acting as a scapegoat for his superiors. It was allegedly the DIG Operations Lahore himself, Faisal Kamran, who ordered SHO Faryad Ashraf to visit the magistrate’s house late at night to force a telephonic conversation in an effort to influence a court matter scheduled for July 2. Despite operating under direct superior commands, the SHO was abruptly targeted and detained only after processing the gang rape FIR.
Five-Day Remand and the Hunt for “Boss”
Amid this administrative fallout, the legal proceedings against the primary accused continued in court. On Friday, Muhammad Raza Dar and three of his accomplices, Sikandar Aziz Khan, Hassan Raza and Sajid Ali, were produced before the Lahore District Court. The judicial magistrate granted the four accused a five-day police remand to facilitate further interrogation in connection with the alleged abduction and gang rape .
However, a fifth unidentified accused named in the original FIR under the pseudonym “Boss” has not been arrested so far. Sources state that the Punjab Police are intentionally withholding the true identity of “Boss” and stalling his arrest because he is an immensely powerful and heavily influential heavyweight within Pakistan’s top political landscape.
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Power Play Within the Sharif-Dar Dynasty
The aggressive state-level pressure to suppress the case and penalise the police stems from the absolute consolidation of power shared between the accused and the ruling elite. Dr Ishaq Dar is not only Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister but is also Nawaz Sharif’s close family relation through marriage. Nawaz Sharif’s daughter, Asma Sharif, is married to Ishaq Dar’s son, Ali Dar, who now serves as a Special Adviser to Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz. The immediate arrest of the reporting SHO has once again exposed institutional corruption and the abuse of state machinery in Pakistan to shield powerful individuals.
