Eight accused plead not guilty as a Lahore judge rejects the police narrative that had absolved the powerful family’s scion
PAKISTAN : A Lahore court has put Pakistan’s ruling establishment in an uncomfortable spotlight. On Tuesday, Additional District and Sessions Judge Rafaqat Ali Gondal framed charges against the suspects, who pleaded not guilty. The accused include Raza Dar, a relative of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar. The case involves the alleged gang rape of two foreign women. All eight suspects are in judicial custody, and the judge has directed the prosecution to present its witnesses in December.
A clean chit that did not hold
The indictment reverses the trajectory of a case that looked, only a week ago, to be heading toward quiet closure. On Nov. 3, Punjab Police filed an incomplete investigation report before the trial court, clearing five suspects, including Dar’s grandson, of sexual assault charges. The report instead named three of Dar’s low-paid employees as the alleged rapists. Critics seized on the fact that the charges were dropped even though the police investigation was incomplete.
What is alleged
The case was registered at Lahore’s Defence C police station on allegations of abduction and rape. Police arrested Raza Dar, described as the prime suspect, along with three others in early July. The two women are alleged to have been in Lahore on a business trip in June. All the accused deny wrongdoing, and the court has so far only framed charges. No guilt has been established.
Political heat on Islamabad
The case has dogged Ishaq Dar since the arrests. Senator Faisal Vawda demanded Dar’s resignation after the arrest. Some critics alleged that officials were trying to recast the incident as an extortion case rather than a sexual assault case. The government has pushed back, with Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah’s camp saying attempts were being made to drag the Deputy PM into the case.
A caveat on the family tie
Reports are not uniform on the exact relationship. Early reports called Raza Dar the Deputy PM’s grandson, while ARY News said he is the grandson of Dar’s son, which would make him a great-grandson.
The test ahead
With charges framed and witnesses due in December, the trial will test whether Pakistan’s justice system can withstand proximity to power. The police clean chit has been overtaken by a judge’s order. What happens in court next will decide whether this becomes a landmark case or another that fades.
