ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s capital territory police have constituted a special committee, headed by a senior official, to investigate the case of an unidentified woman claiming to be a foreign national who was found abandoned in Islamabad, according to a statement released on Thursday.
Local media widely reported that the woman, in her mid-20s, was found “bound and gagged” on a roadside in a posh neighborhood of the federal capital.
The woman claimed to be a Belgian national, prompting the embassy of the European country in Islamabad to look into the incident before saying there was no confirmation that she was their citizen.
As the mystery surrounding her identity deepened, Islamabad police said investigations were ongoing at a senior level.
“A special committee headed by Senior Superintendent of Police Operations has been formed to investigate the incident,” an official police statement informed. “The senior command of Islamabad police is supervising the investigation.”
The statement said all the details of the investigations would be shared with the public as the probe continued. The police requested everyone to avoid speculations about the incident and wait for the findings of the probe.
The Belgium embassy said earlier in a social media post they had been informed about the “tragic” incident that occurred in Islamabad involving a “28-year-old” woman.
“At this stage, we have no confirmation that the victim is a Belgian citizen,” the post said. “We however offer her our full support, and condemn this assault in the strongest possible terms.”
It added the consular section of the embassy was monitoring the situation very closely and was in direct contact with the local authorities to facilitate the investigation.
Pakistan police launch probe after bound woman claiming foreign nationality found in Islamabad
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Pakistan police launch probe after bound woman claiming foreign nationality found in Islamabad
- Woman claims to be a Belgian citizen, though the European state’s embassy finds ‘no confirmation’ of that
- Media reports say the woman, in her 20s, was found ‘bound and gagged’ on a roadside in a posh neighborhood
Government says Pakistan’s IT exports hit record monthly high in December
- Finance adviser says IT exports crossed $400 million for first time in a month
- Pakistan aims to double exports to $60 billion in four years, with IT a key driver
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s information technology exports climbed to a record $437 million in December, crossing the $400 million mark for the first time on a monthly basis, the government’s finance adviser Khurram Schehzad said in a social media post on Monday.
The surge underscores the growing role of the tech sector as Pakistan seeks to boost exports while emerging from a prolonged economic crisis that drained foreign exchange reserves, widened balance-of-payments pressures and weakened the currency.
The government is now aiming for export-led growth as part of broader structural reforms under a $7 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) loan program.
“December 2025 exports reached $437 million — crossing $400 million in a month for the first time ever,” Schehzad said in a post on X, adding that this represented 23 percent month-on-month growth from November and 26 percent year-on-year growth compared with December 2024.
For the first half of the current fiscal year, IT exports reached $2.24 billion, up 20 percent from a year earlier, making the sector the largest and most consistent contributor within services exports, he said.
Pakistan has been under pressure to sharply lift exports as it works to stabilize its economy.
Earlier this month, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal said the country must double its exports to $60 billion within four years or risk returning to the IMF.
Pakistan’s IT exports have been on a steady upward trajectory in recent years. They reached a record $3.8 billion in the 2024–25 financial year, according to official data.
The momentum has carried into the current fiscal year, with IT exports posting 19 percent year-on-year growth during the first five months from July to November.
Exports during the period stood at $1.8 billion, according to data released by the State Bank of Pakistan.
The government has said it sees the technology sector as a key driver of foreign exchange earnings and job creation as Pakistan seeks to lock in recent macroeconomic gains and attract new investment.
