LAHORE:
A US national woman was allegedly gang-raped by her “guide” and his two accomplices at tribal area tourist resort Fort Munro in Dera Ghazi Khan district.
Also a social media activist and vlogger, the woman was on a trip to the Fort Munro hill station.
Acting on the woman’s complaint, the Border Military Police (BMP) arrested the prime suspect, ‘M’ (21), also said to be an American citizen.
DG Khan District Police Officer (DPO) Ali Waseem told
Dawn the suspect had confessed to have committed the crime.
The DPO said the BMP presented the suspect in a local court and obtained his physical remand, while the woman had been sent to hospital for medical examination. He said the Fort Munro BMP registered a gang-rape case on the complaint of the vlogger, who alleged the suspects also recorded video clips of the episode.
The DPO said the foreigner had contacted the prime suspect through a tourist guides group page on social media and planned a trip to Fort Munro on his invitation. She later informed the police over phone that she had been raped by her hosts.
During inquiry, it transpired that the woman was on a visit to Pakistan and had been residing with one Basil Khan in Lahore.
Basil told the police that she was his fiance’.
According to inquiry reports, Basil and the foreigner vlogger had met the prime suspect ‘M’ through a social media app, the DPO said.
The woman told the police that on M’s invitation she left for Rajanpur alone on public transport, where she stayed with his host’s family for a couple of days.
Later, on July 16, both left for Fort Munro, where they stayed in a hotel room. The woman later alleged she was gang-raped by ‘M’ and his accomplices.
“I received life threats from ‘M’ over phone for reporting the matter to police”, she stated in the FIR.
Fort Munro BMP police registered the first information report (FIR) against three nominated suspects under sections 376 and 292 b of the Pakistan Penal Code.
DG Khan Deputy Commissioner Anwar Baryar, who was also senior commandant of BMP, told
Dawn the woman was on a trip to Fort Munro, where she was allegedly gang- raped.
He said raids were being conducted for the arrest of other nominated suspects.
Meanwhile, Punjab Chief Minister Hamza Shehbaz has sought a report from the Punjab inspector general of police (IGP) on the Fort Munro incident.
The CM ordered indiscriminate action against the culprits, saying they would be given exemplary punishment as per the law, and justice would be done to the complainant.
(Our DG Khan Correspondent Tariq Birmani also contributed to the story)
Published in Dawn, July 20th, 2022
Border Military Police arrest prime suspect, said to be a US citizen; DPO says he has confessed to crime.
www.dawn.com
American vlogger, 21, ‘gang-raped in Pakistan by guide in hotel
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According to police, a Vlogger was allegedly gang-raped by a number of guys at a hotel in Pakistan, including her host.
A 21-year-old American woman reported the alleged event took place on July 17 in east Punjab.
Police have disclosed that as part of their investigation, at least two people have been taken into custody
According to the Free Press Journal, the woman, who had been in Pakistan for three weeks, told police that one man had recorded her without getting her consent.
She further disclosed to police that she had received threats to keep quiet about the alleged incident.
Police reported that the woman had spent five days at the residence of one of the suspected perpetrators.
Police are attempting to determine how the victim was allegedly enticed before they transported her to a hotel.
The protection of American people abroad is the utmost concern of the U.S. Department of State and our embassies and consulates abroad, the US Embassy in Islamabad told the Associated Press.
“We cannot comment on the nature of the complaint due to the claimed victim’s right to privacy,”
The US consulate in Lahore will support the accused victim, according to officials.
Many women in Pakistan reportedly choose not to disclose alleged rape assaults because they wish to escape stigma.
American vlogger, 21, ‘gang-raped in Pakistan by guide in hotel
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