A close relative of Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar is among four men arrested in connection with the alleged gangrape of two foreign women in Lahore, according to police.
The four accused — Muhammad Raza Dar, Hassan Raza, Sikandar Khan and Sajid Ali — were produced before a Lahore court on Friday, which remanded them to police custody for five days.
Investigators identified Muhammad Raza Dar as the principal suspect in the case and confirmed that he is related to senior Pakistani politician Ishaq Dar.
"Since it is a very sensitive matter as a close relative of Deputy PM Ishaq Dar is involved in this high-profile case, police are investigating it from all aspects," a police officer said.
Police alleged that the two victims, one from the Netherlands and the other from Venezuela, were kidnapped and gangraped by five men in Lahore on June 29.
The women were rescued after authorities received a call from Spain from the father of one of the victims, prompting police to launch an operation.
On Thursday, Lahore police registered a case against five suspects under sections 365A (kidnapping) and 375A (gang rape) of the Pakistan Penal Code before arresting four of the accused.
Police said the fifth suspect remains at large, and raids are continuing to locate and apprehend him.
According to the victims' statements, they first met Muhammad Raza Dar in Singapore in October 2025, where he invited them to travel to Pakistan.
A second police official told PTI that the women and Raza Dar were business partners in a cryptocurrency venture.
Police said Raza Dar facilitated business visas for the two women, who arrived in Lahore on June 29.
One of the victims alleged that shortly after reaching Lahore, Raza Dar and the other accused abducted the two women, took them to a house, where they were allegedly gangraped, and demanded ransom in exchange for their release.
A court official said the women identified Raza Dar as the "prime suspect" when all four accused were presented before a magistrate.
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