Controversy Erupts in Pakistan Over Alleged Abduction and Assault of Foreign Nationals

Serious Allegations Surface in Lahore

A significant uproar has emerged in Pakistan following the involvement of a relative of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar in a case concerning the alleged kidnapping and gang rape of two foreign women in Lahore. This incident also hints at a possible cryptocurrency business link between the main suspect and the victims. Authorities have detained four individuals who are currently in police custody as investigations continue.

The victims, hailing from the Netherlands and Venezuela, reported that they were kidnapped and assaulted by five men in Lahore on June 29. The police intervened after receiving a distress call from Spain made by one of the victims' fathers. The suspects, named as Muhammad Raza Dar, Hassan Raza, Sikandar Khan, and Sajid Ali, were placed under a five-day police remand by a Lahore court on July 4. A police officer stated, "Given the sensitive nature of this case involving a close relative of Deputy PM Ishaq Dar, we are examining all angles of the investigation." Raza Dar, the primary suspect, is the grandson of Ishaq Dar.

Raza Dar Named as Key Suspect

The women informed law enforcement that they had met Raza Dar in Singapore in October 2025, where he invited them to Pakistan. According to a police source, the women and Raza Dar were involved in a cryptocurrency project together. He facilitated their business visas for the trip, leading to their arrival in Lahore on June 29.

Upon reaching Lahore, the women alleged that Raza Dar and the other suspects abducted them and took them to a location where they were reportedly assaulted and held for ransom. One victim recounted that the attackers restrained them and demanded access to a computer containing cryptocurrency assets. "They inquired about the location of the computer with the funds, and I indicated it was in the green bag," she stated, adding that Raza Dar persistently sought money and passwords.

Another victim, Astrid, claimed that one of the assailants hit her on the head while another threatened their lives unless they surrendered the money. "He warned that if we didn't provide the funds, they would kill us," she recounted in her testimony.

A court official confirmed that Raza Dar was identified as the 'prime suspect' when all four accused were presented before a magistrate. Lahore police have filed charges against the five suspects under sections 365A (kidnapping) and 375A (gang rape) of the Pakistan Penal Code. One suspect remains at large, and efforts are ongoing to apprehend him.