Tag: kidnapping

  • Over 40 cases of kidnapping, rape, sexual abuse reported in Mandi Bahauddin in July

    Over 40 cases of kidnapping, rape, sexual abuse reported in Mandi Bahauddin in July

    In the month of July alone this year, more than 40 separate cases of kidnapping, rape, and sexual exploitation of women have been reported in Mandi Bahauddin district, Punjab province.

    According to 46 First Information Reports (FIRs) filed in the district, these incidents occurred between July 1 and July 24.

    The cases involve serious charges, including Sections 376 (rape), 376(iii) (rape of a minor), 365B (kidnapping, abducting, or forcing a woman to marry), and 496-A (enticing, abducting, or unlawfully detaining a woman with malicious intent).

    Seven cases were specifically filed under Section 376(iii), four under Section 376, 13 under Section 365B, and 21 under Section 496-A. Additionally, two cases were registered under Section 511 (offences punishable with life imprisonment or a shorter term), and one under Section 114 (accomplice present during the commission of the crime).

    The FIRs detail incidents of kidnapping, rape, and sexual exploitation involving young girls and teenagers, with victims ranging in age from 10 to 28 years, the majority being between 10 and 18 years old.

    Most incidents occurred within the Police Circle Sadar Mandi Bahauddin, with others in Police Circles Phalia and Malkwal. The cases were reported across various police stations, including Saddar, Civil Line, Kathiala Sheikhan, Gojra, Meana Gondal, Pahrianwali, and Phalia where an estimated 150 known and unknown suspects have been named in FIRs.

    A report by the Sustainable Social Development Organization, violence against women increased in Punjab in 2023, with the highest number of incidents occurring in Lahore and Faisalabad.

    10,201 cases were registered under Sections 354 and 509 of the Pakistan Penal Code, marking a 14.5% increase from 2022, when 8,787 cases were reported. The report also highlighted that 1,464 cases were reported in Lahore, 1,198 in Sheikhupura, and 877 in Kasur, with an average of 28 women facing violence daily in Punjab.

    Furthermore, 6,624 rape cases were registered in 2023, indicating that a woman was raped every 45 minutes. Faisalabad reported the highest number of cases with 728, followed by Lahore with 721 and Sargodha with 398.

    With Lahore, Faisalabad, and Rahim Yar Khan topping in numbers, an estimated 626 women were kidnapped, 120 were killed in the name of honour, and 20 were trafficked in 2023.

  • Anwar Maqsood denies kidnapping rumors with humorous video

    Anwar Maqsood denies kidnapping rumors with humorous video

    In the past few days, there were rumors circulating on social media about Anwar Maqsood’s kidnapping.
    However, the writer has released a video in his usual humorous style to dismiss all the rumors as baseless.
    Maqsood remarked that even if he were injured with broken bones or a fracture, he would still find a way to enjoy biryani, whether by making it himself or having someone else prepare it for him.
    He also requested his admirers not to pay attention to fake news and clarified that he doesn’t have any social media accounts and doesn’t use social media. People are calling and informing him about the rumors of his kidnapping. “I am not only denying all these rumors, but I also condemn those who spread such unverified news without confirmation.”
    Bilal Maqsood, his son, shared the video on his Instagram account.

  • Marriage and employment scam: 500 girls from Lahore sold in Sindh after kidnapping

    Marriage and employment scam: 500 girls from Lahore sold in Sindh after kidnapping

    The recovery of a 15-year-old Sheikhupura girl from Sindh has unearthed a gang that has sold 500 young women by scamming and kidnapping them. Seven arrests have been made so far from Lahore and Jacobabad.

    As per the police report, an abduction case was registered with the Factory Area Police Station in Sheikhupura on June 2 following the disappearance of a teenage girl. An investigation was initiated upon their failure to recover the girl, reported Dunya News on December 12.

    Urdu News has reported the incident in greater detail, including listing the motives of the girl who eloped, and how she got recovered.

    Alisha reached Lahore on the morning of June 2. She got out of the car near a petrol pump near Data Darbar in Lahore. She didn’t have her phone with her which she deliberately left at home, as she looked for someone in the crowd. Alisha got in touch with a man named Nadeem through Facebook. After being in contact online for a long time, she fell in love with him.

    Nadeem promised Alisha that if she came to Lahore, they will marry each other.

    On the morning of June 2, when her mother went to work, Alisha ran away from home to find her unknown love.

    When Alisha did not find Nadeem in Lahore, she broke down. She reached the Data Darbar premises exhausted and sat in the courtyard. A woman came to her and comforted her and said that she would get her a job in a good place or get her married somewhere. Alisha had no choice but to believe this unknown woman and thus they became friends.

    On the other hand, Alisha’s mother registered an FIR of her abduction in Sheikhupura Police Station Factory Area.

    Sheikhupura Police Spokesperson Wajid Abbas told Urdu News that Alisha’s mother received a phone call telling her that her daughter was in Sindh and she had to pay a ransom of Rs 25 lakh to get her daughter back. Alisha’s mother filed a case of kidnapping on June 6.

    Meanwhile, two local politicians in the area advised the woman to file a writ in the High Court, that her daughter was missing.

    Wajid Abbas said that the court reprimanded the SHO of the local police station and said that if the girl is not recovered, he will be suspended.

    He said that DPO Sheikhpura Zahid Marwat took a personal interest in the case and tried his best to solve the case. The police also found a trace of a gang.

    Sheikhupura police reached Lahore in search of Alisha and started searching for her with the help of Safe City Authority cameras, when the police saw some people talking to Alisha in the Data Darbar area.

    According to the police, after making inquiries about the wanted persons, they arrested one. When the police interrogated the man, he confessed to his gang kidnapping the girls.

    On investigation, the police found that the main character of this gang is a woman named Latifan Bibi living in Karachi, while her husband Khan Muhammad is also involved in criminal activities.

    The suspect told the police about the modus operandi of his gang. Latifan Bibi is in touch with six people from Karachi to Lahore. Three women and three men operate in Lahore, these six people approach different girls and convince them that they will get them married or get them a good job.

    They then transfer all of them from Lahore to the rural areas of Sindh.

    The spokesperson of Sheikhupura Police said, “When Alisha was seduced by an unknown woman in the Data Darbar area of Lahore, she informed Latifan Bibi in Karachi about it, after which the unknown woman sold Alisha to Latifan Bibi for 20,000. This group commits crimes systematically, two people from Lahore went to leave Alisha to Karachi.”

    He said that Latifan Bibi gave these people 20,000 rupees for traveling expenses. The police soon came to know that these two men also raped fifteen-year-old Alisha on the way.

    According to him, as long as Alisha stayed with Latifan, her husband Khan Muhammad also kept raping her. Then Latifan Bibi sold Alisha in the city of Qamber in Sindh for two lakh rupees, after which she was sold eight times in Sindh.

    The police traced Alisha and had information about the alleged gang, but the police now had the task of catching the entire gang. The police prepared a plan to nab the accused.

    According to the Sheikhupura Police Spokesperson, “We prepared one of our lady constables and told the arrested accused to call Latifan Bibi and tell her that they are bringing another girl to Sindh.” Latifan Bibi did not know anything about this.

    “When our officials reached the Kacha area of Sindh with the accused and the lady constable, Latifan Bibi and later her husband were also arrested from there.”

    Latifan Bibi and other suspects revealed disturbing details during the investigation.

    Latifan Bibi told the police “So far they have abducted around 500 girls from Lahore and sold them in the Kacha area of Sindh and got a huge price for them.”

    “Girls who come to courts or run away from home, we would trap them and kidnap them.”

    According to the Sheikhupura police, this gang has remained safe from being caught by the police until now because whenever the police went to catch them or found a trace of a missing girl, Latifan Bibi would arrange the marriages of these girls, after which these girls would be found by the police. She used to state that she was married, due to which the police action could not be successful.

    When the Sheikhupura police recovered Alisha on the identification of the arrested accused, there were many revelations.

    According to Sheikhupura police, Latifan Bibi revealed that she sold Alisha at nine different places, but finally, police found Alisha from an area called Mehr on the border of Sindh and Balochistan and brought her to Punjab. She is now in police custody.

    Sheikhupura Police Spokesperson Wajid Abbas further said that the police have detained eight accused in this case, including four men and their wives. Alisha and her mother also tried to change their statement, but now we have kept Alisha in safe custody so that this gang can be severely punished.

    The police led by DPO Zahid Marwat produced Alisha in the court and informed her about the entire incident.

    The court, while dealing with Alisha’s recovery request, issued an order that, “This matter should be investigated more deeply and all possible measures should be taken for the recovery of the kidnapped girls.”

  • ‘You can’t sleep after something like that’: Mansha Pasha opens up about Jibran Nasir’s kidnapping

    ‘You can’t sleep after something like that’: Mansha Pasha opens up about Jibran Nasir’s kidnapping

    Actress Mansha Pasha recently appeared on Frieha Altaf’s podcast where she publicly addressed her husband Jibran Nasir’s illegal kidnapping. The ‘Idiot’ actress made a video narrating how the couple arrived back to their house after a dinner in June, when a white Vigo with 15 armed men stopped them and took her husband.

    After 24 hours and condemnation from all sides, the lawyer was released, thanking all those who had advocated for his release.

    At the podcast, Pasha recalled how difficult it was for her to sleep after the incident. The actress admitted that trauma shows up in different ways, and it took a while for her to make sense of what had happened.

    Mansha went on to reveal that her support system helped her during this difficult time “I think that alone, it’s impossible.. A lot of people have said to me ‘Mansha, you’re so courageous. You kept it together so well.’ But quite frankly I don’t think it would have been possible without the support of so many people. And because I knew all these people were beside me, whether I knew them or not, this is what consoles a person.”

  • ‘Striving to bring back abducted football players from Dera Bugti,’ says interior minister

    ‘Striving to bring back abducted football players from Dera Bugti,’ says interior minister

    An operation is underway by the Frontier Corps Balochistan (North) for the recovery of six kidnapped footballers in Dera Bugti, Balochistan. Seven suspects have been arrested so far.

    On Saturday (September 9), six footballers were kidnapped by unknown armed assailants in Dera Bugti while they were on their way to Sibi to participate in the Chief Minister Balochistan Gold Cup tournament.

    “FC Balochistan (North) is tirelessly striving to bring back the abducted football players from #DeraBugti. Your prayers are needed. Hoping for safe recovery. InshAllah,” tweeted caretaker Interior Minister Sarfraz Bugti on Sunday.

    Around 24 players were on their way to Sibi when they were abducted at gunpoint by armed men, reported Dawn. However, the kidnappers released 18 players but kept six. According to the Dera Bugti deputy commissioner, the kidnapped footballers are residents of Dera Bugti and Sui.

  • Pakistani film ‘Hum-Saya’ receives Best Short Documentary award at Venice Film Festival

    Pakistani film ‘Hum-Saya’ receives Best Short Documentary award at Venice Film Festival

    Director Dawood Murad’s venture ‘Hum-Saya’, produced by the Centre For Social Justice, has received the prestigious award for ‘Best Short Documentary on Human Rights’ at the Venice Intercultural Festival 2023. The film focuses on the story of two girls who are abducted, forcibly converted and then married off, while also exploring the turmoil their families undergo.

    In an Instagram post, the director revealed that the film will also be screened in Venice, Italy, on June 23 and later at Kellogg College, Oxford, on June 16.

    A recent report compiled by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan found that in the year 2021, at least 60 cases of forced conversions were reported in the media, out of which 70% of the girls were under the age of 18 and were from Sindh.

    The data also revealed that blasphemy cases were on the rise in the country. In 2021 there were 585 blasphemy cases registered in Punjab, out of which 16 were filed against the Ahmadi community.

  • Mother almost falls for $1 million kidnapping hoax after daughter’s voice is cloned by AI

    A mother from Arizona almost fell for a kidnapping hoax after the culprits used Artificial Intelligence (AI) to clone her daughter’s voice.

    According to People magazine, Jennifer DeStefano shared that her daughter, Briana, was on a ski vacation with her friends when the mother received a phone call from an anonymous number, where she heard her daughter crying and pleading for help.

    “I heard my daughter’s voice crying and sobbing, saying, ‘Mom.’ And I’m like, ‘OK, what happened?’ She’s like, ‘Mom, these bad men have me. Help me, help me.’ “

    A man then talked to her and demanded that she pay $1 million to free her daughter.

    “This man gets on the phone and he’s like, ‘Listen here. I’ve got your daughter. This is how it’s going to go down. You call the police, you call anybody, I’m going to pop her so full of drugs. I’m going to have my way with her and I’m going to drop her off in Mexico,’” she said. “And at that moment, I just started shaking. In the background, she’s going, ‘Help me, Mom. Please help me. Help me,’ and bawling.”

    DeStefano, who was at a dance studio when she received the call, negotiated with the man to take the ransom down to $500,000, while her acquaintance contacted the police and her husband contacted Briana, who revealed that she was safe and in her room.

    “She was upstairs in her room. Then I get angry, obviously, with these guys. This is not something you play around with.”

    DeStefano shared that she was truly shocked how similar her daughter’s voice sounded to the voice she had heard on the phone, which had been cloned by AI.

    “It was completely her voice. It was her inflection. It was the way she would have cried. I never doubted for one second it was her. That’s the freaky part that really got me to my core.”

    Briana also revealed how terrifying this situation could have gotten, had her mother not confirmed her whereabouts:

     “I started to wonder, like, if these people were asking to track my mom and pick her up, they could have obviously been putting some information together to try and track me or some of my siblings to actually make this a reality. So it definitely scared me.”

  • Karachi teenage girl allegedly marries her kidnapper

    Karachi teenage girl allegedly marries her kidnapper

    A teenage girl who had been reported missing from Karachi has allegedly married her kidnapper in Lahore, according to police, Dawn has reported.

    The girl’s family had filed a First Information Report (FIR) under Section 365-B of PPC while the police had conducted raids in Peshawar and Lahore to find her.

    The police have claimed that the girl married the kidnapper with her consent. The family had named Abdullah in the FIR, and according to Korangi-SSP Sajid Amir Sadozai, the girl’s marriage documents are being verified.

    The girl had gone missing on February 13. The case is currently under investigation, and further details are yet to be revealed.

  • Punjab on top in sexual, physical assault and domestic abuse cases

    Punjab on top in sexual, physical assault and domestic abuse cases

    At least 133 women were kidnapped and as many as 85 were subjected to rape in Pakistan in the month of July alone, a report has revealed.

    The data has been compiled by the Sustainable Social Development Organization (SSDO) and the Centre for Research, Development and Communication (CRDC). The cases that have been reported in mainstream media are added in the report.

    Punjab

    A total of 77 cases of physical assault were reported in Punjab — 93 women in Punjab were abducted, 47 cases of sexual assault cases were recorded. As far as domestic violence cases are concerned, Punjab reported 58 cases. Three honour killing incidents took place. At least five cases of workplace harassment were reported in the province. In July, 42 children were sexually abused and 30 children were kidnapped. Meanwhile, 10 children were murdered and eight child labour cases were reported. 10 cases of physical violence against children were recorded. The province also reported three cases of child marriage.

    Sindh

    Sindh recorded 34 physical assault cases. A total of 20 cases of abduction took place, 16 women were subjected to rape, 15 cases of domestic violence were reported and in the name of honour killing, four women were killed in Sindh. Moreover, two work harassment incidents were reported in the province. Over July, 21 children were sexually abused,13 children were kidnapped from Sindh, 14 children were physically abused while five children were murdered in the province. Three cases of child marriage were reported.

    Islamabad

    Six incidents of physical assault occurred in the capital and 15 cases of kidnapping were reported. 10 cases of rape were reported. Four cases of domestic abuse were reported. Ten children were sexually abused and eight children were kidnapped. Two incidents of physical abuse against children were reported and two children were murdered.

    Balochistan

    The province had no reported case of physical assault. Two cases of abduction were reported during the month of July. Balochistan reported one rape incident. When it comes to domestic violence, Balochistan registered zero such incidents. Three children were sexually abused in Balochistan and four children were kidnapped. No physical abuse case was reported. Two children were murdered.

    Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

    16 incidents of physical assault were reported, three cases of abduction occurred, 11 cases of rape were reported and17 cases of domestic violence were reported in KP. 32 children were sexually abused and 27 children were kidnapped. 11 cases of physical violence against children were reported and three children were murdered. One child labour case was reported.

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  • Video: Woman robbed, escapes kidnapping attempt

    Video: Woman robbed, escapes kidnapping attempt

    A woman was robbed in broad daylight in Lahore’s DHA. The video of the robbery and failed kidnapping attempt has gone viral on social media.

    In the video, the criminals can be seen going inside the woman’s car and driving away.

    According to the police, two armed men took the woman hostage when she was sitting in the driving seat of her car, blindfolded her and drove away in broad daylight.

    According to the police, the incident took place on July 18. A case has been filed against the unidentified culprits on the complaint of Advocate Saira Malik.

    The woman managed to dodge the criminals and jumped out of the car when it slowed down in a traffic jam.

    The woman texted her husband and asked for help. The husband then called the police.

    The criminals stole her car, laptop, cash, and other things.

    The police are still investigating the matter.