Pak Deputy PM's Relative Cleared Of Sexual Assault Charges In Rape Case

A relative of Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister, Ishaq Dar, has been cleared of sexual assault charges in an alleged gang rape case involving two foreign women, according to an incomplete police report submitted to a trial court.

The report stated that investigators found no evidence linking the suspect, Muhammad Raza Dar, to the alleged gangrape, though he remains implicated in other alleged crimes, including illegal detention and extortion.

The two complainants, a woman from the Netherlands and another from Venezuela, were cryptocurrency business partners of Raza Dar. They alleged they were abducted, detained, and sexually assaulted in Lahore.

According to the police report, the women met one of the suspects in Singapore in 2025 and were invited to Pakistan for a business meeting. They were allegedly held at a house in Lahore and forced to pay ransom.

The women escaped on July 1 when their car met with an accident near Bhatta Chowk. They raised an alarm, and police took them into protection. The women left Pakistan on July 3.

Police recovered approximately Rs 4.3 million, along with a mobile phone and a vehicle, and weapons used in the alleged extortion. These items were linked to separate cases under the Arms Ordinance.

The police report included charges under various sections of the Pakistan Penal Code, including kidnapping, rape, and destruction of evidence. However, the report was incomplete, and the court was asked to summon the suspects through notices.

The defense lawyer accused police of favoring key suspects, claiming his clients were low-paid employees made scapegoats. DIG Operations Faisal Kamran had previously stated the suspect linked to a senior minister would be treated like any other criminal.