Tag: rape

  • IN PICTURES: Celebrities demand justice for rape victims, safe space for women

    IN PICTURES: Celebrities demand justice for rape victims, safe space for women

    The gang-rape of a woman on the Lahore-Sialkot motorway has sparked nationwide outrage, with countless protests being organised across the country to demand justice for the victim and safe space for women in the country. Members of the Pakistani Entertainment Industry also took the initiative of organising a peaceful protest outside the Karachi Press Club to raise their voice on the matter and give it more momentum.

    Among those present at the occasion was Mahira Khan, Sarah Khan, Ayesha Omar, Adnan Siddiqui, Ali Rehman Khan, Aijaz Aslam, Frieha Altaf, Bushra Ansari, Sarwat Gilani, Yasir Hussain, Asim Jofa, Anoushey Abbasi and Gul-e-Rana.

    Sharing pictures from the event, Mahira said: “We demand a secure nation for all women! At home, on the streets, at work, alone, not alone, with kids, without kids, in a skirt or in a burkha. Wherever she may be, whoever she may be – we demand basic rights of safety.”

    Holding a placard, which read “Real men don’t rape”, Sarah Khan said: “No mercy for rapists.”

    Sarwat Gilani said that the entertainment fraternity came out to “demand justice and security for our women and children”. Sarwat also lauded Prime Minister Imran Khan’s decision to punish rapists with castration — the process of removal of testicles of a man.

    We stand together as one voice,” said Ali Rehman. “One voice to demand the protection of our women, children and transgenders. One voice to demand their freedom. “We stand together.”

    Aijaz Aslam held a placard which read: “Stop rape”.

    Mansha Pasha said she stepped out after a long time to “join a protest and speak about the state of women’s safety in Pakistan and the fact that there is none.”

    “We aren’t safe on the street, at work or even in our homes,” she added.

    “Rape happens because of: 1) Rapist; 2) Failure of law enforcement agencies,” asserted Mansha.

    Yasir Hussain and Adnan Siddiqui addressed the protesters gathered at the venue.

    Bushra Ansari stood by her earlier stance, saying that hanging the rapist is not enough.

    According to details, the protest was organised by Yasir Hussain, Frieha Altaf and Asim Jofa.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CFHfSydAWtj/

    Read more – ‘We took her kids to the bushes to make her follow us,’ says man who gang-raped mother of three

    Meanwhile, some social media users are criticising the actors for holding a separate protest instead of attending the main one organised by the Aurat March.

    Sarwat later clarified that a second protest was held because “a lot of celebrities were busy with work on the first protest’s date, [so] we decided to get out a day when most of us were available.”

  • ‘Motorway rapists left Rs1,000 on dashboard of survivor’s car, which was for police bringing petrol’

    ‘Motorway rapists left Rs1,000 on dashboard of survivor’s car, which was for police bringing petrol’

    Journalist Fereeha Idrees, who has extensively been covering the Lahore-Sialkot Motorway gang-rape case and is also reportedly in contact with the survivor, has made a shocking revelation that has added to people’s doubts regarding the alleged involvement of law enforcement in the incident.

    Speaking to The Current during a live session on Monday night and separately to a private media outlet, Fereeha revealed that one of the accused left Rs1,000 on the dashboard of the survivor’s vehicle. The amount was meant for police upon their arrival at the spot after she had called the emergency helpline when her car ran out of fuel en route Gujranwala at midnight.

    The journalist quoted the survivor as saying that when she reached the toll plaza, she paid toll tax and asked for the nearest petrol station. “After covering some distance, her car ran out of fuel and she called the motorway helpline. They apologised but gave her the local number.”

    WATCH VIDEO:

    Over the phone, a person sought her exact location via WhatsApp and then asked her to wait, she said.

    Further quoting the victim, Fereeha said the woman was also asked as to how much petrol did she need, to which she requested for fuel worth Rs1,000. “She then waited for over an hour and a half before she was attacked and later raped in nearby fields off the main road.”

    When the woman was found by the police and her belongings were retrieved, eyewitnesses say there was a Rs1,000 currency note on the dashboard, Fereeha said and added that it was left by the attackers.

    “Apparently, the attackers wished that she would go home and not tell anyone. But is it a coincidence that she had said she needed fuel for at least Rs1,000 to reach home and that was exactly the amount the attackers left behind?”

    Did one of them go back to put it there as they took her purse with them?

    THE INCIDENT:

    A 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.

    Amid a strong reaction by the public and countrywide protests, at least one of the two culprits has surrendered. His co-accused is still at large.

  • Imran approves tabling of bill to remove rapists’ testicles

    Imran approves tabling of bill to remove rapists’ testicles

    The ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has decided to bring to parliament a bill to punish rapists with castration — the process of removal of testicles of a man or animal, ARY News quoted sources in the government as saying.

    According to reports, Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan has approved legislation to castrate rapists once proven guilty, and government bodies will soon be introducing it in the parliament.

    Federal Minister for Water Resources Faisal Vawda has reportedly been delegated with the task of furnishing the draft bill that proposes neutering sex offenders.

    “After the castration bill, the government will also table a bill for the hanging of such criminals,” Vawda was quoted as saying.

    The development comes hours after senior journalist and analyst Dr Moeed Pirzada quoted the premier as saying that criminals such as those involved in the Lahore-Sialkot motorway gang-rape should be hanged at public squares.

    According to the journalist, the premier made the statement while speaking to him during an interview that will air tonight (Monday) on 92 News.

    The interview comes days after a mother of three was raped by two men after her car ran out of fuel on the Lahore-Sialkot motorway past midnight.

    As per the details, 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.

    Amid a strong reaction by the public and countrywide protests, at least one of the two culprits has been identified.

    PUBLIC HANGINGS:

    While a number of people are demanding public hanging of the accused such as sought for serial child rapist and killer Imran Ali of Kasur, the premier’s belief contradicts that of federal science and technology minister and his government’s former spokesperson, Fawad Chaudhry.

    A day earlier, Fawad had said that calls for hanging and burning the rapists alive from prominent members of his party and the educated faction were a reflection of the society’s violent thinking.

    The minister’s comments had come after two members of the ruling party, namely Senator Faisal Javed and Minister for Water Resources Faisal Vawda, called for extreme punishments for those behind the gang-rape and the rape and murder of minor Marwah in Karachi.

  • VIDEO: Police blame mother-of-three survivor for gang-rape, say ‘she should have taken GT Road’

    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.

    “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.

  • Police arrest Khairpur teacher for raping, filming minor students

    Police arrest Khairpur teacher for raping, filming minor students

    The Sindh Police have arrested a retired schoolteacher for allegedly raping minor students, many of whom he tutored at a private property in Khairpur. The suspect was caught on Friday evening after escaping arrest earlier.

    https://twitter.com/sindhpolicedmc/status/1284107833399824384?s=20

    According to details, Sukkur range Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Fida Hussain Mastoi said police had raided the suspect’s hometown but he managed to escape. The DIG also confirmed the scandal that went viral on social media.

    The suspect, who was a government schoolteacher, had recently retired. He was accused of raping one of his students, recording the act and then circulating it on social media. He has also been accused of forcing his students to commit sodomy with each other. It is pertinent to mention here that all students at his tuition centre were between the ages of 10 and 12.

    After the news gained traction on social media, social activists, journalists and other members of the civil society expressed their outrage on the matter and demanded the authorities take strict action against the suspect.

    https://twitter.com/SameenaERana/status/1284028366019072002?s=20
    https://twitter.com/M_Osamaa_/status/1284188092656689155?s=20

    Mehwish Hayat also took to Twitter to applaud the Sindh Police for taking swift action.

  • Cynthia Ritchie denies working for intelligence; adds to allegations, drags PML-N through the mud

    Cynthia Ritchie denies working for intelligence; adds to allegations, drags PML-N through the mud

    American blogger Cynthia Ritchie has doubled down on accusation and claimed that she had been harassed by multiple political leaders during her time in Pakistan.

    In an interview with a local news outlet, she revealed detailed of alleged harassment by Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) stalwarts Yousaf Raza Gillani, Makhdoom Shahabuddin and Rehman Malik.

    She said that after Osama bin Laden was killed, Malik, who was the interior minister at the time, asked her to visit the minister’s enclave to discuss her visa. She added that she agreed because some officials told her that “real business is done out of the office”.

    Cynthia said that when she visited the minister’s enclave, she was welcomed with flowers and was offered a drink. “About a drink and a half into my visit, I felt dizzy and the next thing I remember is he getting me to sit down and I was in his bed,” she claimed.

    She also claimed that Malik’s driver helped her dress up and told her that they wanted her to distance herself from the NGO she was working in since it was run by Azam Swati’s daughter and the politician had recently joined the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

    She said that the driver put 2,000 pounds into the car with her and made her take it with her. She added that the Malik also gifted her a mobile phone which was used to spy on her.

    She said that she was also harassed by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and they stole her ‘Emerging Pakistan’ idea.

    She further said that the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) had been more civil and she has more respect for them than she has for the PPP.

    Responding to a question, Cynthia denied working for intelligence agencies.

    When the interviewer contacted Gillani and Shahabuddin, both denied the allegations.

  • US blogger accuses PPP leadership of raping her in Islamabad: Here’s what we know so far

    US blogger accuses PPP leadership of raping her in Islamabad: Here’s what we know so far

    In a shocking development, a former prime minister (PM) and two of his cabinet members have been accused of manhandling and sexually assaulting Islamabad-based United States (US) blogger nine years ago.

    As per the details, Cynthia Dawn Ritchie has accused some of the top Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leaders of subjecting her to the treatment during the party’s third tenure in Centre from 2008 to 2013, also alleging that PPP stalwart and then federal minister for interior Rehman Malik raped her — an accusation denied by both Malik and then PM Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani.

    The accusation comes a week after the blogger posted some controversial tweets involving slain former PM Benazir Bhutto which attracted a load of criticism and cyberharassment both from party’s local leadership and its support base.

    READ: PPP writes to ISI chief for action against Pakistan-based US blogger over tweet about Benazir Bhutto

    “In 2011, I was raped by the former interior minister Rehman Malik. That’s right, I’ll say it again. I was raped by the then interior minister Rehman Malik,” Ritchie said in the live video on her Facebook page.

    She also accused former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gillani and former federal minister Makhdoom Shahabuddin of “physically manhandling” her while the former was staying at the “President’s House”.

    Ritchie said she was reserving “some of the more graphic details” because her audience could include children, but added that she would be “happy to go into more detail” with neutral investigative journalists.

    The blogger alleged that she has endured harassment “primarily from the PPP” for a number of years now. “I have received countless threats against my life, rape threats, claims that PPP has my father,” she claimed, adding that she has “evidentiary support” of everything she has been posting.

    Ritchie also said she had informed about the incident to “someone” at the US Embassy in 2011, “but due to ‘fluid’ situation and ‘complex’ relations between US and Pakistan, [the] response was less than adequate”.

    The US embassy in Pakistan has not reacted to the claims as of yet.

    ACCUSED DENY CLAIMS:

    In their responses, both Gillani and Malik strongly denied the accusations.

    Gilani said that he even considered responding to such allegations “humiliation and disgrace”.

    Talking to a private news channel on Friday, the former premier questioned as to what Richie was doing at the Presidency when she was allegedly manhandled, and why she had been staying in Pakistan.

    Interestingly, it was Gillani himself who in 2010, through the Ministry of Interior which was then headed by Malik, empowered then Pakistan ambassador in Washington Hussain Haqqani to directly issue diplomatic visas to Americans without clearance of relevant authorities.

    The former premier further alleged that the blogger had come to Pakistan as part of a campaign to malign politicians.

    Gillani claimed that Ritchie was maligning him because his two sons had filed a defamation case against her for her allegedly defamatory tweet against Benazir.

    The PPP has also lodged a complaint with the cybercrime wing of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) against her for making “extremely derogatory and slanderous remarks” against Benazir.

    Malik, in his response, called the allegations “baseless, shameful, and inappropriate”.

    READ: Imran’s ex-aide called out for showing up at Cynthia’s party uninvited

    In a statement issued by his spokesperson, the former minister said that the purpose behind the allegations was to damage the reputation of the PPP leader.

    While support pours in for the US blogger, a number of people are also engaging in war of words over social media over the validity of her claims.

  • VIDEO: ‘Country has not only been raped but gang-raped,’ President Arif Alvi says

    VIDEO: ‘Country has not only been raped but gang-raped,’ President Arif Alvi says

    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.

  • VIDEO: Darul Aman orphan, who accused ministers of rape, found dead

    VIDEO: Darul Aman orphan, who accused ministers of rape, found dead

    One of the orphans at Darul Aman, who had accused ministers and government officials of “misusing girls living in the shelter home to fulfil their demands”, has been found dead under mysterious circumstances.

    According to Afshan Latif — a former superintendent of the state-run shelter — the deceased, Iqra Kainat, has been murdered by those who wanted to protect the perpetrators of sexual abuse of the orphan girls.

    https://twitter.com/AfshanLatif3/status/1226042740896681985

    In a series of videos that had earlier gone viral, Latif had said that she was being threatened for disclosing what the orphans at the shelter were being subjected to.

    Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Usman Buzdar had also taken notice of the allegations after the former Darul Aman official had claimed that she was appointed in April 2019 and her predecessor used to bring strangers (men) inside the shelter late at night.

    READ: Darul Aman superintendent says orphan girls being ‘misused’ by minister, govt officials

    However, even after her appointment, Latif had alleged that illegal practices continued at the centre. In this regard, she had filed a complaint against certain high-ups for pressuring Latif to marry underage girls to high-ranking officials.

    The ages of the destitute girls were between 15 to 17 years-old, and they were forcefully married off to favoured bureaucrats and a provincial minister, Latif alleged in her video message.

    In reference to authorities and those involved, she had said that they were trying to wipe out evidence and requested people to spread her message. Latif had added that she did not know what was to happen to her and where she would be taken now.

  • Five-year-old raped inside US Embassy compound in Delhi

    Five-year-old raped inside US Embassy compound in Delhi

    A man has been arrested for allegedly raping a minor girl in the grounds of the United States (US) Embassy in New Delhi, CNN quoted police sources as saying.

    According to reports, the girl was playing outside the embassy’s staff quarters before she “was lured and raped by a neighbour”. Reports quoted Delhi Police Deputy Commissioner Eish Singhal as saying that the girl, who is the daughter of a housekeeper employed by the embassy, later identified the 25-year-old male suspect, who has been arrested and charged with rape.

    “She was able to identify him point blank and there is no doubt over this,” Singhal said, adding that the suspect remains in custody.

    The incident has appalled embassy staff. In a statement to CNN, a US Embassy spokesperson said they were deeply disturbed by the alleged misconduct. “We promptly took action when we were informed of the allegation, and brought this matter to the attention of the police. Of course, we are cooperating fully with them,” the spokesperson said.

    An investigation has been launched, and a court date is yet to be set. In the wake of the brutal 2012 Delhi gang rape — which brought worldwide condemnation and still haunts the collective memory of women in India’s capital –, lawmakers passed a series of amendments to the existing rape laws.

    The amended law lengthened prison terms and introduced the death penalty in cases in which the victim is younger than 12 years of age.