Punjab police have arrested the prime suspect of the motorway gang-rape case, ARY has reported citing sources; but the claim has been dismissed by the senior-most police officer of Punjab as well as Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan’s aide Dr Shahbaz Gill.
According to reports, Punjab Inspector General of Police (IGP) Inam Ghani has dismissed reports that a suspect in the Lahore motorway rape case had been arrested, terming them as incorrect.
“News on the arrest of a suspect on TV channels and social media are incorrect,” said IGP Ghani, adding that he would share any development in the case with media as he was monitoring the investigation himself.
“Such unconfirmed news affects the case and is also misleading for the public,” said the top cop.
He also said that pictures of the woman and the suspects being shared on social media were fake, and urged media to not run reports before confirming them. “We will soon arrest the accused and bring them to justice,” Ghani vowed.
Earlier, ARY cited Punjab government sources as saying that search for the second suspect involved in the gang-rape was underway.
The claim was, however, also dismissed by Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) on Political Communication Dr Shahbaz Gill, who said it was incorrect but the police were working hard.
Barrister Khadija Siddiqi, who was stabbed 23 times in broad daylight in Lahore, has reminded Lahore Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Umar Sheikh of what happened in her case, shutting him up for his statement blaming the motorway gang-rape survivor for travelling alone with her three kids past midnight.
“I was stabbed 23 times in broad daylight! Don’t tell us that ‘time’ is directly connected to the commission of offense!” she tweeted while also asking as to under what authority could the CCPO set “time limits” on women’s travel.
Ccpo claiming that in our society women/children arent allowed to go outside after 12:30 am! Who are you to set time limits for us? I was stabbed 23 times in broad daylight! Dont tell us that ‘time’ is directly connected to the commission of offence! #motorwayincidentpic.twitter.com/8z9ERuJ3Rc
The officer, who is also supposed to be leading the investigation of the motorway rape case, is being criticised for using language that tantamounts to victim-blaming.
“I am shocked… you are a mother of three and the only driver late at night… [she] should have taken the GT [Grand Trunk] Road instead, which is densely populated,” CCPO Sheikh had said while speaking to Dunya News.
He went on to say that the woman should “at least have checked her fuel before taking the motorway”.
THE INCIDENT:
On Tuesday night, it was reported that two robbers had gang-raped a mother of three on the Motorway within Gujjarpura police’s jurisdiction.
The woman, along with her three children, was driving to Gujranwala in her car when she was forced to stop at the Gujjarpura section of the Motorway after running out of fuel at around 1:30 am. She immediately called a relative and sent him her location. He asked her to also dial the Motorway Police helpline 130 but she was reportedly refused help.
In the meantime, two robbers approached the car, broke the window and took the woman and her children to nearby bushes where they raped her repeatedly in front of the children. They also snatched her purse that had cash around Rs100,000, one bracelet, car registration and three ATM cards.
The Gujjarpura police have registered a case, while motorway police spokesperson said they had not been able to take action as the incident did not occur in the limits of Motorway Police.
The survivor of the motorway gang-rape has been quoted by a journalist as asking the first responders to shoot her dead and do not tell anyone about what had happened.
“A journalist friend was told by an investigating official that when the police reached the crime scene of #MotorwayRape the survivor started begging the cops to shoot her dead and not tell anyone about the incident,” journalist Ailia Zehra tweeted.
A journalist friend was told by an investigating official that when the police reached the crime scene of #MotorwayRape the survivor started begging the cops to shoot her dead and not tell anyone about the incident. Can’t even begin to imagine what she must be going through
“Can’t even begin to imagine what she must be going through,” she added.
THE INCIDENT:
On Tuesday night, it was reported that two robbers had gang-raped a mother of three on the Motorway within Gujjarpura police’s jurisdiction.
The woman, along with her three children, was driving to Gujranwala in her car when she was forced to stop at the Gujjarpura section of the Motorway after running out of fuel at around 1:30 am. She immediately called a relative and sent him her location. He asked her to also dial the Motorway Police helpline 130 but she was reportedly refused help.
In the meantime, two robbers approached the car, broke the window and took the woman and her children to nearby bushes where they raped her repeatedly in front of the children. They also snatched her purse that had cash around Rs100,000, one bracelet, car registration and three ATM cards.
The Gujjarpura police have registered a case, while motorway police spokesperson said they had not been able to take action as the incident did not occur in the limits of Motorway Police.
LEAs EXPOSED:
Separately, the delayed response to emergency calls made by the motorway rape victim have also exposed the level of coordination among the law enforcement agencies despite the government spending billions of rupees on the Safe City Project, The News reported Friday.
An initial investigation into the incident and contradictory statements of senior officers confirmed that there was a lack of coordination between the Lahore Police and Motorway Police that resulted in a delayed response providing criminals enough time to flee after committing the crime.
On the second day of the incident, Lahore CCPO Umar Sheikh said the victim had not called the police herself for help. Some of her relatives called the Motorway Police at 1:30 am.
On the other hand, Motorway Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kaleem Imam said that the victim called the Motorway Police at 2:01 am and was informed that the Lahore-Sialkot Motorway does not fall in their jurisdiction.
However, the Motorway Police forwarded the call to the FWO immediately. The lady didn’t get any help from the FWO either.
Later on, a claim of the Dolphin Force surfaced that they received 15 calls at 2:49 am and reached the spot at 2:53 am. A cop of Dolphin Force said as he reached the spot, the woman was “stunned”.
“She didn’t speak. She mustered up the courage after some time and then told the whole tragedy.”
However, the Gujjarpura police in its FIR stated that they reached the spot at 4 am and didn’t find anyone there.
A senior police officer requesting anonymity told The News that factually the Lahore Police and the Motorway Police had delayed the response over jurisdiction.
They said the Safe City Project was launched after spending billions of rupees for a well-coordinated response and surveillance but the recent incident has exposed it as well.
They added that call logs should be made part of investigations and strict action should be taken against the responsible persons.
Lahore’s new Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Umar Sheikh, who was earlier this week blamed for the removal of Punjab’s fifth inspector general of police (IGP) in two years, has now made headlines for blaming a gang-rape victim for the incident.
“I am shocked… you are a mother of three and the only driver late at night… [she] should have taken the GT [Grand Trunk] Road instead, which is densely populated,” he said while speaking to Dunya News.
Sheikh went on to say that the woman should “at least have checked her fuel before taking the motorway”.
THE INCIDENT:
On Tuesday night, it was reported that two robbers had gang-raped a mother of three on the Motorway within Gujjarpura police’s jurisdiction.
The woman, along with her three children, was driving to Gujranwala in her car when she was forced to stop at the Gujjarpura section of the Motorway after running out of fuel at around 1:30 am. She immediately called a relative and sent him her location. He asked her to also dial the Motorway Police helpline 130 but she was reportedly refused help.
In the meantime, two robbers approached the car, broke the window and took the woman and her children to nearby bushes where they raped her repeatedly in front of the children. They also snatched her purse that had cash around Rs100,000, one bracelet, car registration and three ATM cards.
The Gujjarpura police have registered a case, while motorway police spokesperson said they had not been able to take action as the incident did not occur in the limits of Motorway Police.
PUBLIC REACTION:
With the incident making headlines and medical reports confirming gang-rape, social media flooded with posts by the general public as well as political leaders in support of the survivor and against the authorities over their “continuous failure to protect the people”.
Amid public outcry, Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan’s aide on political communication, Dr Shahbaz Gill, said that on Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Usman Buzdar’s directives, Lahore CCPO Umar Sheikh will lead the investigation.
لاہور خاتون زیادتی کیس: CM پنجاب کی ہدائیت پر CCOP لاہور تفتیشی ٹیم کو لیڈ کر رہے ہیں۔
تفتیش میں urban اور rural policing کی تکنیک استعمال کی جارہی ہے-
کھوجی، CCTV فوٹیج اور DNA کی مدد سے تفتیش ہو رہی ہے۔
“Urban and rural policing techniques are being used,” he said, adding that CCTV footage and DNA matching was being used in the probe.”
Dr Gill further said that around 12 suspects have been arrested.
‘POLICE DOING GREAT WORK’:
Earlier, newly-appointed IGP Inam Ghani claimed that police have secured “evidence” that will lead them to the culprits.
“We have done great work so far in the motorway rape case. We have located the village from which the suspects were from,” the IGP revealed in a conversation with Geo News.
He also shared that 20 police teams were working on the case and being overseen by a deputy inspector-general (DIG).
Ghani shared that the survivor had provided ages and other identifying features of the suspects. “Right now, we have a very good clue which will lead us to the suspects directly. However, we cannot share it with the media yet.”
He also shared that police have obtained the complete voter list and record from the National Database & Registration Authority (NADRA) of the area where the suspects are believed to have hailed from.
IG Ghani said that the woman’s children, who were forced to witness the horrific crime, were now with their family, who have been assured that they will be provided all kinds of support. He hoped that the victims of the attack would be in a much better state when the suspects are arrested.
Medical reports have confirmed that the woman who was robbed at the motorway was also gang-raped.
Media reports had earlier claimed that she had been subjected to sexual assault in front of her children.
As per reports, the woman with her two children, was stuck on the road as her car ran out of fuel in the Gujjar Pura area of Lahore. Two unidentified men attacked them and broke the window of their car.
They took the woman to nearby fields where she was gang-raped and later robbed by the men who fled the scene promptly.
After the news of the incident made headlines, the Punjab government took “serious notice” and tweeted that the victim will be served justice and the culprits will soon be behind bars.
موٹروے کے قریب خاتون سے زیادتی کے واقعے پر وزیراعلیٰ پنجاب کا سخت نوٹس
انسپکٹر جنرل پولیس سے رپورٹ طلب کر لی
اس سنگین جرم میں ملوث مجرموں کو جلد از جلد گرفتار کیا جائے – وزیراعلیٰ کی ہدایت
“انشاء اللہ مظلوم خاتون کو انصاف فراہم کیا جائے گا” – وزیراعلیٰ عثمان بزدار
The police have set up check posts across the province after preparing the sketch of the accused. The village of the accused has been identified and an extensive search operation is underway. At least 12 suspects have already been arrested.
مالک !! یہ وحشت، یہ بربریت، یہ درندگی کیوں آ گئی ہے اس معاشرے میں۔۔۔ پروردگار اِن بدبختوں پر قہر نازل فرما کہ اَب تیرے بندوں سے تو انصاف کی توقع کرنا بھی عبث ہے۔ pic.twitter.com/2EjXOlxSqj
Raped in front of her children. Neither one of them will ever be able to forget or move on from this. Lives destroyed. For their justice and for safety of the rest of us women who use motorways/highways, PUNISH THE CULPRITS. #PublicHangingOfRapists
A kitten died after a 15-year-old boy along with his friends allegedly gang-raped it repeatedly for over a week.
According to a viral social media post by an animal shelter, which has also widely been shared by other animal organisations and the general public, the kitten was adopted by the family of the boy who abused it many times until she died after suffering from crushed internal organs.
The posts revealed that the kitten couldn’t sit, walk, eat or sleep due to the pain and trauma. “The culprits used shopping bags for the act which were left inside the poor cat,” the posts claimed.
The vet confirmed that the cat was abused but refused to write it on paper to avoid involvement in the case.
Upon inquiry, one of the culprits’ mother refuted the allegations and said, “My son hasn’t done this.”
Meanwhile, the incident has sparked outrage and many people, including celebrities and journalists, have strongly condemned the incident, urging the authorities concerned to take action against the culprits.
I still can’t comprehend that kids can be so evil & am sure this has some twisted upbringing.These evil perverts shud be punished severely otherwise this would be another normal like child abuse which now is just like any other small issue I wish I cud kick them #kittenrapepic.twitter.com/fHrByeZ6bw
In a rather insensitive statement, President Dr Arif Alvi, while speaking of the damning investigation report regarding independent power producers (IPPs), has said the way mafias looted the country was “not rape but gang-rape”.
The federal cabinet on Tuesday decided to make public the investigation report on deals that allowed IPPs to earn illegal profits worth billions of rupees and also gave the nod to the formation of an inquiry commission to further probe into the matter.
The decision came two days after the president and Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan reportedly discussed the report.
“I first read the executive summary of the 300-page [IPPs] report. I discussed it with the PM a day before we met [on Monday]. My exact words were… forgive me for what I am about to say and let’s not forget how the report doesn’t yet include the opinion of all stakeholders… but my exact words to the premier were that the country has not only been raped but gang-raped by mafias,” he said in a conversation with senior journalist and analyst Hamid Mir.
WATCH VIDEO:
WHAT DOES THE REPORT SAY?
A nine-member committee headed by former chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan Mohammad Ali was formed last year to investigate reasons behind the high cost of electricity, especially in connection with IPPs.
According to the report prepared by the committee, deals were signed at the expense of interests of the consumers and the government. The national exchequer suffered a loss of over Rs4 trillion in the last 13 years because of circular debt and subsidies being given to power producers.
The report further disclosed that 16 IPPs invested around Rs51.80 billion and earned over Rs415 billion in profits – having dividends taken out in excess of 310 billion — in a period ranging from two to four years.
“Pakistan has regionally the highest power tariffs consequently raising the cost of manufacturing,” read a summary of the report. “This has been one of the prime reasons for loss of competitiveness of our industry and the stagnation of our exports,” it read.
It was noted that the profits generated by most of these IPPs were 18.26 times than their investment and the dividends taken out were 22 times higher.
Six companies earned an annual return on equity (ROE) between 60% and 79%. Four of them earned an ROE of 40%.
The report further revealed that 13 residual fuel oil- and gas-based plants in the last eight to nine years of their operations earned profits of Rs203 billion against their combined investment of Rs57.81 billion.
Excess payments of 6.33 billion to four bagasse-based plants were also identified.
“Coal companies with government connivance obtained a tariff which is more than 50% higher than the market rate leading to an annual over payment of $477 million per annum or $14.5 billion over the life of these projects,” the report read.
“Thermal IPPs set under the 2002 Power Policy and Nepra [National Electric Power Regulatory Authority] tariff determination were entitled to a 15% rate of ROE on a cost plus basis. However, the projects set up under this policy have been posting returns in dollar terms in excess of 50%. This could only have been possible if the tariff setting process of Nepra was compromised.”
It was noted that the Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park was instrumental in getting a very high upfront tariff for solar power approved at US cents 14 levelised and 18 cents for first 10 years through influence peddling and corruption.
The solar tariff in India at that time was between 7-8 cents with similar cost structure, while a much higher upfront tariff and capital cost allowed by Nepra, causing a massive loss to the country.
“The first project in the Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park established by the Punjab government involved a kickback of approximately $50 million,” the document read.
The committee found that private companies had provided false oil statistics to secure better tariffs.
Malpractices by IPPs with respect to project setting up costs, actual fuel use being less than the invoices submitted to Nepra, kickbacks in commission on fuel were also identified.
The report suggested that the power tariffs could be cut down by Rs3 per unit by adopting three measures: converting the payment to IPPs from dollar to rupee, switching from “take-or-pay” to “take-and-pay” option, and reducing capacity payments.
