LAHORE: A man who was recently identified as one of two suspects in the gang rape of a woman who was dragged from her car on a motorway and attacked in front of her children, surrendered himself to police on Sunday and denied involvement in the crime, officials said.
The woman, who police say is in her early 30s, was driving late on Tuesday night outside Lahore with her two children when her car ran out of fuel. She phoned police for help, but before they arrived two men took her and her children out of the vehicle at gunpoint and raped her beside the highway.
“Waqarul Hasan, one of the two people accused in the motorway rape case, turned himself in and denied any involvement in the incident,” Hasnain Haider, deputy superintendent police, told Arab News. “We are investigating further to determine the veracity of his claim.”
The incident enraged people who used social media platforms to express their fury and pressure the government to identify and punish the culprits. Protests were held in several Pakistani cities over the handling of the investigation, prompting police to say on Saturday they had launched a manhunt for the suspects.
“We have managed to identify the real criminals in the case in less than 72 hours,” said the province’s chief minister, Usman Buzdar, while addressing a news conference in Lahore on Saturday.
Punjab Inspector General Police (IGP) Inam Ghani, who was also present at the occasion, said that Abid Ali, who lives in a small town in Bahawalnagar district, was the primary suspect in the case. The province’s top cop also identified Waqarul Hasan as Ali’s accomplice, saying that the police were “95-96 percent” sure of his presence at the crime scene.
Ghani added that the police conducted raids at the houses of the two suspects, though they evaded arrest since “the information had gone into the public domain” and they had “definitely received the tip-off” that the police were behind them.
According to official accounts, Ali was identified since he was already involved in a similar case in Bahawalnagar in 2013 and his DNA results in the police database matched the evidence collected in the tragic motorway incident.
Ali was released from prison in the previous case after the family his victim compromised with him.
However, Hasan, the second suspect, was identified through a SIM card issued in his name that was located at the crime scene through geo-fencing.
“There are four telephone SIMs in Abid Ali’s name, but he was not using anyone of them,” said a press statement issued by the CM office. “The police traced another number and managed to identify the other accused, Waqarul Hasan, by using that.”
Officials told Arab News that the Punjab Forensic Laboratory had been asked to take Hasan’s DNA sample since it was not available with the police.
Suspect in Pakistan gang rape case surrenders to police, pleads innocent
https://arab.news/yrdfj
Suspect in Pakistan gang rape case surrenders to police, pleads innocent
- The man was identified as suspect through a SIM card issued in his name, but police say forensic experts have yet to take his DNA samples
- Another suspect, still on the run, was involved in a similar case in 2013 and his DNA results matched the evidence collected in the incident
IMF Executive Board to review $1.2 billion loan disbursement for Pakistan today
- Pakistan, IMF reached a Staff-Level Agreement in October for second review of $7 billion Extended Fund, climate fund program
- Economists view IMF bailout packages as essential for cash-strapped Pakistan grappling with a prolonged macroeconomic crisis
ISLAMABAD: The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is set to meet in Washington today to review a $1.2 billion loan disbursement for Pakistan, state media reported on Monday.
Pakistan and the IMF reached a Staff-Level Agreement (SLA) in October for the second review of a $7 billion Extended Fund Facility (EFF) and the first review of its $1.4 billion Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF).
The agreement between the two sides took place after an IMF mission, led by the international lender’s representative Iva Petrova, held discussions with Pakistani authorities during a Sept. 24–Oct. 8 visit to Karachi, Islamabad and Washington D.C.
“The International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) Executive Board is set to meet in Washington today to review and approve $1.2 billion in loan for Pakistan,” state broadcaster Pakistan TV reported.
Pakistan has been grappling with a prolonged macroeconomic crisis that has drained its financial resources and triggered a balance of payments crisis for the past couple of years. Islamabad, however, has reported some financial gains since 2022, which include recording a surplus in its current account and bringing inflation down considerably.
Economists view the IMF’s bailout packages as crucial for cash-strapped Pakistan, which has relied heavily on financing from bilateral partners such as Saudi Arabia, China and the United Arab Emirates, as well as multilateral lenders including the IMF, World Bank, Asian Development Bank and Islamic Development Bank.
Speaking to Arab News last month, Pakistan’s former finance adviser Khaqan Najeeb said the $1.2 billion disbursement will further stabilize Pakistan’s near-term external position and unlock additional official inflows.
“Continued engagement also reinforces macro stability, as reflected in recent improvements in inflation, the current account, and reserve buffers,” Najeeb said.
Pakistan came close to sovereign default in mid-2023, when foreign exchange reserves fell below three weeks of import cover, inflation surged to a record 38% in May, and the country struggled to secure external financing after delays in its IMF program. Fuel shortages, import restrictions, and a rapidly depreciating rupee added to the pressure, while ratings agencies downgraded Pakistan’s debt and warned of heightened default risk.
The crisis eased only after Pakistan reached a last-minute Stand-By Arrangement with the IMF in June 2023, unlocking emergency support and preventing an immediate default.
