Pak Deputy PM Ishaq Dar's grandson, 4 others get clean chit in gang-rape case

Pakistan's Punjab Police have cleared Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar's grandson, Muhammad Raza Dar, and four other suspects of sexual assault charges in a case involving the gang rape of two foreign women in Lahore. However, investigators have accused three other men, who worked for Raza Dar, of sexually assaulting the victims.

The case, which attracted considerable attention because of Raza Dar's family connections, dates back to June 29, when two foreign women, one from the Netherlands and the other from Venezuela, were abducted and sexually assaulted by a group of men in Lahore. Police initially arrested eight suspects in connection with the incident, according to news agency PTI.

In an investigation report submitted to a trial court on Tuesday, Lahore Police said they had found no evidence linking five of the suspects, including Raza Dar, to the alleged sexual assault. They have, however, accused the five of other offences, including illegal detention and extortion.

The police have named three other suspects, who were employees of Raza Dar, as the men who sexually assaulted the women.

According to the police report, the two women first met Raza Dar in Singapore in October 2025. They allegedly offered him an opportunity to invest in their cryptocurrency business.

The report said Raza Dar initially made a profit on his investment and subsequently put more than USD 500,000 into the venture. However, the women allegedly failed to generate returns on his subsequent investment.

"However, this time, the women did not give any profit to the suspect," police said.

Investigators said Raza Dar later invited the women to Pakistan towards the end of June, citing a proposed meeting with another investor. The two travelled to the country and initially stayed at a hotel in Islamabad before visiting Murree, which is a popular hill station in Punjab.

The police report alleges that the women were subsequently taken to a house in Lahore's Defence Housing Authority (DHA), where they were detained and pressured to repay the money.WOMEN FORCED TO TRANSFER USD 19,500

According to investigators, the women were held against their will and forced to transfer USD 19,500. The police have treated the alleged detention and demand for money as part of the offences in the case.

The investigation report also set out the police's findings on the sexual assault allegations. It said the statements given by the complainants, along with the evidence gathered during the investigation, pointed to three employees of Raza Dar as the alleged perpetrators.

"We found no evidence of rape against the other five suspects, including Raza Dar," the police report concluded.

The findings mean that Raza Dar and four other suspects have been cleared of the sexual assault charges at this stage of the investigation. They have not, however, been cleared of all allegations, as police have accused them of offences including illegal detention and extortion.MEDICAL EXAMINATION AND EVIDENCE

The medical examination of the two women had confirmed that they were raped, according to the information provided in the case. Both victims also recorded their statements before returning to their respective countries following the incident.

Police said they had recovered 4.3 million Pakistani rupees extorted from the women. Investigators also seized a mobile phone and a vehicle believed to have been used in the alleged crime.

In addition, police recovered pistols and a rifle during the investigation. Their recovery led to the registration of separate cases under the Arms Ordinance, the report said.

The police submission to the trial court is an incomplete investigation report, rather than a final judicial determination of guilt or innocence. The allegations against the suspects and the findings recorded by investigators will now be considered as the legal proceedings continue.- Ends