Police in Lahore are facing criticism for their handling of a disturbing case involving the alleged rape of a 15-year-old Christian girl by two Muslim men, Muhammad Amjad and Fahad Nasir. The suspects are reportedly threatening to harm the victim’s mother and other family members if they do not withdraw the case.
According to Sonia Mehboob, the mother of the victim, her daughter was assaulted by Amjad and Nasir on the night of July 1. Mehboob reported that the police were reluctant to file a First Information Report (FIR) and delayed the registration by a day. “We made several visits to the police station, but each time we were treated harshly by the police,” Mehboob said. “When the FIR was finally registered, no effort was made to arrest the suspects, allowing them to secure interim bails from the court.”
The victim, whose name is being withheld for privacy reasons, had gone to a nearby grocery store around 10 p.m. on the night of the assault. Upon her return, Amjad and Nasir stopped her on the street, forced her to drink water laced with drugs, and then took her to a nearby house where she was raped.
Mehboob, a Catholic domestic worker, said that when her daughter did not come home, she and her husband began searching for her. During their search, they encountered Nasir, who claimed to have seen the victim heading towards a park. After failing to find her there, they returned home and saw Amjad emerging from a house with the victim, who was visibly struggling.
Lahore Rape Case
“The sight was horrifying,” Mehboob said. “My daughter was drugged and unable to speak. Her clothes were soaked in blood.” The family immediately contacted the police, who took the victim to the hospital. Medical examinations confirmed the rape and showed signs of torture and bite marks.
Despite evidence and a medical report supporting the victim’s account, the police were slow to act. Mehboob filed an application to register a case against the suspects, but police reluctance persisted. She also requested DNA tests for the suspects and the victim, which were refused.
Delay and Neglect
The situation has escalated with the suspects threatening the family to drop the case. On July 19, the suspects filed a false assault case against Mehboob’s 16-year-old son, Zikaria, despite his severe leg injury, and also implicated local Christian counselor Sadiq Masih, who has been assisting the family in their quest for justice.
The victim described her confusion and pain after regaining consciousness in the room where the assault occurred. “I was numb and in severe pain, with bite injuries all over my body,” she said.
The case has underscored serious concerns regarding the safety of religious minorities in Pakistan and highlighted the ineffectiveness of law enforcement in addressing such issues. It reflects the ongoing challenges faced by religious minorities, particularly Hindus and Christians, who are derogatorily referred to as “kafirs” in Sindh.