Surge in Sexual Violence Cases in Pakistan Raises Alarms
Increasing Incidents of Sexual Assault in Pakistan
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London, Sep 29: A troubling increase in sexual violence has been reported in Pakistan, particularly in Lahore, where 1,180 sexual assault cases were documented in the first eight months of this year.
In a shocking incident, a 20-year-old woman from Azerbaijan was reportedly drugged and gang-raped by three men in an apartment in Lahore. The victim, who was in Pakistan for business, detailed her ordeal in a police complaint, stating that she was attacked on Saturday in the Defence Housing Authority area of Raiwind.
According to her account, she was invited to dinner by two women at a local restaurant, where they were later joined by three men. The woman alleged that the men tricked her into getting into a car under the pretense of giving her a ride home, but instead took her to an unknown location. There, she was drugged and assaulted before being abandoned near the Ghazi Interchange, with her mobile phone and other belongings stolen.
The victim indicated that the suspects were acquaintances of the women who had invited her to dinner and that she could recognize them. This incident follows a similar case in July, where two foreign women from the Netherlands and Venezuela were reportedly abducted and raped in the same vicinity. Police managed to rescue them after two hours and apprehended four suspects linked to the crime.
These women had traveled to Pakistan at the invitation of the main suspect, Muhammad Raza Dar, who, along with his accomplices, allegedly threatened and assaulted them. A recent report highlights the alarming rise in sexual violence against women in Pakistan, revealing the systemic failures of institutions designed to protect them. The report indicates that both educated and uneducated men are involved in these heinous acts, which include sexual assault, torture, and even murder.
In another disturbing case, a 45-year-old woman was discovered dead in her Rawalpindi home, showing signs of torture. Her husband, Faisal Asghar Imam, a university medical professor, was arrested in connection with the domestic abuse case, as reported by an Australian media outlet.
Pakistani writer and researcher Anam Zahra commented on the escalating violence, stating, "The recent surge in crimes clearly illustrates how the lives of women in Pakistan are increasingly under threat. In Quetta, Dr. Mahnoor Nasir suffered severe burns from an acid attack after rejecting a man's advances, highlighting the lack of safety for professional women even in environments that should be secure."