CM Maryam ordered merit-based action in foreign women kidnapping case: police

• Two foreign women reached Lahore on June 29: Lahore DIG.
• First ransom call received on July 1, says Kamran Faisal.
• Police traced suspects through phone, car data: DIG.
  

Lahore Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Operations Faisal Kamran said on Sunday that the Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz directed authorities to proceed on merit in the case involving the alleged kidnapping of two foreign women.

“The chief minister said the case must be handled on merit and whoever committed the crime will be punished,” said Faisal Kamran while addressing a press conference in Lahore on Sunday.

The case came to the limelight after a first information report (FIR) was registered at Lahore’s Defence C Police Station against five suspects, including Muhammad Raza Dar, identified as the grandson of a high-profile political bigwig, for the alleged kidnapping, extortion, and sexual assault of two foreign nationals — a Spanish and a Dutch.

Police sources said on Saturday that four more people have been taken into custody for questioning after being identified by the suspects already arrested in the case.

Five suspects, including Dar, are currently on physical remand.

Addressing the presser earlier today, DIG Operations Kamran said the two foreign women arrived in Lahore on June 29 and were allegedly kidnapped soon afterwards.

He said that police launched an investigation after tracing the vehicle involved and examining its travel history through Safe City cameras. He said the vehicle was tracked as it travelled via the motorway to Sargodha, while raids were also conducted in Shahdara and Defence.

Kamran said the first ransom call was received on July 1 from a man identified as Carlos, who informed police that Spanish authorities had also been notified. He added that the Safe City Authority received a call on the emergency helpline the same day.

He said four suspects were arrested on July 2 after police traced phone numbers, vehicle details and location data.

According to a police officer, the women were later taken to the airport by suspect Raza Dar when an altercation occurred near Bhatta Chowk. The vehicle crashed, the women jumped out and took shelter in a filter house, where police subsequently rescued them.

The DIG Operations rejected reports that the women had appeared on their own and said the women had stated that the Punjab Police rescued them.

“The foreign women’s statement is available, and they said Punjab Police rescued them,” the police officer said.

Kamran said statements were recorded in the presence of a magistrate and not under police supervision. After medical examinations and completion of the legal process, the women were allowed to leave the country.

He added that the embassy had requested the women’s early departure, but police asked for one more day to record their statements.

“We told them to give us one more day so their statements could be recorded,” Kamran added.

The DIG Operations also said that when a relative of a major political figure emerged as a suspect, senior officers were informed and the family was contacted to verify the information before further action was taken.