ISLAMABAD: Police in Pakistan’s federal capital said on Saturday no evidence of sexual assault was found in an alleged rape case filed by a woman who reported a day earlier she was held at gunpoint by a man on a popular hiking trail in the city after meeting him while searching for employment opportunities.
The reported incident once again raised concerns about the safety of residents, particularly women, in the city.
According to the initial police report, the complainant, a resident of Punjab’s Sheikhupura city, told investigators that she had been looking for a job when the suspect, Nauman, lured her into a trap by offering a position in the education department.
“The complainant’s medical report did not show any evidence of sexual assault,” the police said in a Twitter post. “There was a friendship between the complainant and the accused.”
The police maintained they were investigating the case “on merit.”
“The complainant is reluctant to cooperate with the police and has not provided details of the accused,” said the Twitter post. “Margalla trails are protected with drone surveillance and effective patrolling. The location of the incident is being determined. Police will investigate all aspects of the case.”
Earlier, the woman told the police the accused claimed to be an accountant in the education department and promised to help her secure a job. He also demanded Rs50,000 ($180) from her.
She said that she traveled to Rawalpindi on July 12 and met the suspect the same day to hand him her résumé and Rs30,000 ($108) as an advance payment for the job.
The alleged incident was reported months after two men raped a woman in the capital’s largest F-9 park.
According to the police report, the complainant in the previous case was walking in the park when the two men took her to a nearby forest at gunpoint. They beat the woman and took turns raping her.
The incident triggered widespread anger and prompted a huge protest by rights activists, members of civil society, and women from different walks of life at the same park.
The Islamabad police later claimed to have shot and killed the two suspects in a shootout.
