Islamabad: A Pakistani court has formally charged eight individuals, including Raja Dar, grandson of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, over the alleged gang rape of two foreign women who were reportedly lured to Pakistan under the guise of an investment opportunity. The victims were allegedly held hostage and forced to transfer money.
Additional District and Sessions Judge Rafaqat Ali Gondal in Lahore framed charges against the eight accused on Tuesday, according to a court official. All the accused denied the charges and pleaded not guilty. The court has directed the prosecution to present its witnesses on 9 December, paving the way for the formal commencement of the trial. All eight remain in judicial custody.
The case has attracted attention following an earlier Punjab Police report that reportedly exonerated Raja Dar and four of his associates, instead accusing three low-paid employees working for him of sexually assaulting the women. That report had previously been submitted to the court.
The allegations relate to an incident in June this year, when two women from the Netherlands and Venezuela travelled to Pakistan on a business visit. Raja Dar and four of his friends were accused of abducting and gang-raping them. Medical examinations reportedly corroborated the allegations of sexual assault. Both women subsequently returned to their respective countries after recording their statements.
According to the police report, the women had first met Raja Dar in Singapore in 2025 and offered him an opportunity to invest in cryptocurrency trading. Following profits from his initial investment, he reportedly invested more than US$500,000.
However, the women allegedly failed to provide returns on the subsequent investment or repay the money. Raja Dar is accused of inviting them to Pakistan in June, claiming that he would arrange a meeting with another potential investor.
The women initially stayed at a hotel in Islamabad and travelled to the hill resort of Murree of their own accord. They were subsequently taken to a house in Lahore’s Defence Housing Authority (DHA) area, where they were allegedly confined against their will and pressured to repay the investment.
The police report further alleged that the women were forced to transfer US$19,500. Armed men reportedly guarded the premises and threatened them with a knife, a firearm and pieces of broken glass. They allegedly warned that the women would be killed and their body parts sold if they failed to comply with the demands.
The women eventually managed to escape after the vehicle carrying them towards Lahore airport met with an accident. The incident provided them with an opportunity to flee.
