A relative of Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar was among four men arrested for the alleged gang rape of two European women in Lahore, police said on Friday.
The suspects – identified as Muhammad Raza Dar, Hassan Raza, Sikandar Khan and Sajid Ali – were produced before a Lahore court, which remanded them to five days of police custody.
According to the survivors' statements, they first met Raza Dar in Singapore in October 2025.
Investigators said the women and Raza Dar were associated through a cryptocurrency venture, and he had allegedly arranged business visas for their visit to Pakistan.
During court proceedings, the women identified Raza Dar as the prime accused when the four arrested men were presented before a magistrate.
A relative of Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar was among four men arrested for the alleged gang rape of two European women in Lahore, police said on Friday.
The suspects – identified as Muhammad Raza Dar, Hassan Raza, Sikandar Khan and Sajid Ali – were produced before a Lahore court, which remanded them to five days of police custody. A fifth accused remains on the run, and efforts are underway to trace and arrest him.
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According to police, Muhammad Raza Dar, who has been identified as the prime suspect in the case, is related to Ishaq Dar. Officials said the case was being treated as highly sensitive because of the involvement of a relative of a senior Pakistani politician.
The case stems from an incident on June 29, when two foreign nationals – one from the Netherlands and the other from Venezuela – were allegedly abducted and gang-raped by five men in Lahore, police said.
Police said the women were rescued after authorities received a call from Spain from the father of one of the survivors. A case was subsequently registered under sections related to kidnapping and gang rape of the Pakistan Penal Code, following which four suspects were arrested.
According to the survivors' statements, they first met Raza Dar in Singapore in October 2025. Investigators said the women and Raza Dar were associated through a cryptocurrency venture, and he had allegedly arranged business visas for their visit to Pakistan.
The women told police that shortly after arriving in Lahore on June 29, they were allegedly kidnapped by Raza Dar and his associates, taken to a house and raped them. They also alleged that the accused demanded ransom for their release.
During court proceedings, the women identified Raza Dar as the prime accused when the four arrested men were presented before a magistrate.
Police said the investigation is ongoing and that multiple aspects of the case are being examined. Authorities are also searching for the fifth suspect, who remains at large.
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