Lahore. The court has framed charges against eight accused, including Raza Dar, grandson of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, in the case of gang rape and kidnapping of two foreign women in Pakistan. Lahore's Additional District and Sessions Judge Rafaqat Ali Gondal took this action on Tuesday. All the accused have declared themselves innocent. The court has directed the prosecution to present witnesses on December 9, so that the formal hearing of the case can begin.
Earlier police had given clean chit to Raza Dar
According to a court official, all the accused are currently in judicial custody and were produced before the court for framing of charges. In this case, Punjab Police had earlier acquitted Ishaq Dar's grandson Raza Dar and his four friends of rape charges. The police instead accused three low-paid employees of Raza Dar of raping the women. The police had filed its report in this regard in the court.
Accused of inviting women to Pakistan on the pretext of investment
According to the police report, both the women from Netherlands and Venezuela met Raza Dar in Singapore in the year 2025. The women had proposed him to invest in cryptocurrency business. After getting profits on the initial investment, Raza Dar had invested more than half a million US dollars. It is alleged that this time the women neither gave him any profit nor returned the investment amount. After this, Raza Dar called both the women to Pakistan in June on the pretext of meeting another investor.
Allegation of rape by taking hostage in Lahore house
According to the police, both the women were staying in a hotel in Islamabad and had also gone to the hill tourist spot of Murree of their own free will. After this he was taken to a house located in Defense Housing Authority area of Lahore. It is alleged that there they were held hostage and pressurized to return the investment amount and they were gang-raped.
The police report also said that the women were forced to transfer US$19,500. Armed people were keeping an eye on them in the house. The accused threatened them with a knife, gun and pieces of broken glass. If the demands were not met, they were also threatened to kill and sell the body parts.
Women ran away when the vehicle crashed
According to the police, the accused were taking the two women to Lahore airport when their vehicle met with an accident on the way. During this time both the women managed to escape from there. Medical examination confirmed rape of both of them. After recording their statements, both of them returned to their respective countries.
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