A sessions court in Lahore has framed charges against eight suspects, including Muhammad Raza Dar, in a case involving the alleged kidnapping and gang rape of two foreign women. Additional District and Sessions Judge Rafaqat Ali Gondal conducted the hearing on Tuesday, and all eight accused pleaded not guilty. The case will now move to trial, with prosecution witnesses to be called in early December.

What the court was told

According to the first information report, the two women — one from the Netherlands and one from Venezuela — arrived in Lahore on 29 June 2026 after Dar arranged their travel visas. The report says they had entered into a business partnership with Dar in Singapore in October 2025. After arriving in Lahore, they were allegedly taken to a house in Y-Block, Defence, where they were held at gunpoint.

The FIR alleges that the women were subjected to sexual assault and severe physical abuse, while the suspects demanded a ransom of $1.5 million and threatened to kill them. The ordeal ended after one of the women contacted her father in the Netherlands, who alerted Lahore Police through the 15 emergency helpline. Police then launched a rescue operation and recovered the two women within two hours. The case was registered at the Defence C Police Station.

Why the indictment is significant

The indictment comes after Punjab Police, in an incomplete investigation report submitted to the trial court, cleared five suspects — including Dar — of sexual assault charges, while charging three other suspects, described as low-paid employees, with the assault. The police report instead implicated the five in illegal detention and extortion. The court has nevertheless framed charges against all eight suspects, and all of them remain in judicial custody.

Dar has been identified in court reporting as the grandson of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar. The judge has also adjourned a bail hearing in the case to Wednesday, 11 November, warning the prosecution to present its arguments or have the petitions decided on the case record.

What happens next

With charges now framed, the prosecution will present its witnesses in early December so that formal trial proceedings can begin. The charges are allegations that have yet to be proved, and the accused are presumed innocent unless convicted. The two women left Pakistan on 3 July, according to earlier court reporting.