Police say suspect in Islamabad hiking trail rape case arrested

In this photo, taken on April 17, 2012, Pakistani police commandos stand guard in a street in Islamabad. (AFP/File)
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Updated 17 July 2023
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Police say suspect in Islamabad hiking trail rape case arrested

  • A woman last week accused a man of raping her at popular hiking trail in Islamabad
  • Police say initial medical report shows no signs of rape, awaiting results of forensic report

ISLAMABAD: The main suspect accused of raping a woman at gunpoint at one of the capital city’s popular hiking trails has been arrested and is being investigated, Islamabad Police confirmed on Monday, adding that the complainant’s initial medical report showed no signs she had been raped.

Concerns about the safety of women in the capital city were raised last week when a woman filed a complaint against a man, Nauman, accusing him of raping her at a hiking trail on Thursday. According to the initial police report, the complainant, a resident of Punjab’s Sheikhupura city, told investigators she had been looking for a job when the suspect lured her into a trap by offering her a position in the education department and raped her on gunpoint in the forest on the hiking trail.

“The main accused has been arrested and is currently in police custody on a four-day remand, as the investigation is underway,” Taqi Jawad, an Islamabad police spokesperson, told Arab News.

Jawad added that details with media would be shared once the investigations are concluded and a proper conclusion can be derived.

“The initial medical report of the complainant has not shown any signs of rape, and we are awaiting the results of the detailed forensic report from the Punjab Forensic Science Laboratory,” he added.

Jawad said the investigation has so far revealed that the suspect and the complainant were friends and had been in contact with each other for some time, adding that the suspect was not cooperating with the investigation.

The alleged incident was reported months after a woman was raped in Islamabad’s largest park, triggering protests and widespread condemnation from politicians, rights activists and the civil society.

Islamabad Police later claimed to have shot and killed the two suspects involved in the rape during a shootout.


Punjab tells court 17 killed during Basant kite-flying festival this month

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Punjab tells court 17 killed during Basant kite-flying festival this month

  • Report by provincial authorities says electrocution, rooftop falls among leading causes
  • Festival was revived this year after nearly two decades of ban over safety concerns

ISLAMABAD: The Punjab government on Wednesday informed the Lahore High Court 17 people were killed in Lahore during the Feb. 6–8 Basant kite-flying festival, which was revived this year after nearly two decades of restrictions.

Basant, a traditional Punjabi spring festival marked by rooftop kite flying, was banned in Punjab after repeated fatalities linked to metallic or chemically treated kite strings, electrocution from power lines, rooftop falls and injuries to motorcyclists.

The provincial government revived the festival this year under regulatory measures that included restrictions on hazardous kite string and enforcement protocols aimed at preventing injuries.

“It is respectfully submitted that during kite flying festival 2025, 17 casualties have been reported in District Lahore due to electrocution (3), falling down from rooftop (12) and trees (2),” according to a supplementary report submitted in compliance with a court order dated Feb. 17.

The supplementary report was filed by provincial authorities in response to proceedings initiated by the Judicial Activism Panel against the Province of Punjab. Further hearings in the matter are expected before the Lahore High Court.

The government had banned metallic or chemical-coated killer strings for the Basant festival this year.

Kites and strings had to bear individual QR codes so they could be traced and motorcyclists had to attach safety rods to their bikes to fend off stray thread.

Some 4,600 producers registered with authorities to sell kites and strings, while rooftops with 30 or more revelers also had to be registered and dozens of roofs were declared off-limits after inspections.