- DPM’s demand for resignation “completely baseless”: Sanaullah.
- The case of foreign women is unnecessarily exaggerated.
- Two foreign women arrived in Lahore on June 29: Lahore DIG.
Prime Minister’s Advisor on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah on Sunday termed Senator Faisal Vawda’s demand for Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar’s resignation as “completely baseless” and claimed that efforts were being made to link the case of foreign women to the Deputy Prime Minister.
“Faisal Vawda’s demand to resign as deputy prime minister is completely baseless,” Sanaullah said while speaking on PK Press Club News “Naya Pakistan” program.
The case came to light after a first information report (FIR) was registered at Defense Police Station C, Lahore against five suspects, including Muhammad Raza Dar, identified as the grandson of a senior politician, for the alleged kidnapping, extortion and sexual assault of two foreign nationals, a Spaniard and a Dutchman.
Referring to the alleged kidnapping and assault case involving two foreign women, Sanaullah said the matter was “unnecessarily exaggerated”, adding that attempts were being made to turn “a non-issue into a problem”.
Sanaullah further said that “attempts are being made to take this matter to Ishaq Dar.”
He said: “Each person is responsible for their own words and actions… a despicable mindset focuses on this issue for a specific purpose. »
Sanaullah said the statements of the foreign women under Section 164 had been recorded and the investigating agency had complete evidence in the case.
He added that no further proof was required to submit the challan and proceed with the trial.
“The declaration under Section 164 is sufficient to secure the conviction of the accused,” Sanaullah said, adding that the foreign women could be recalled to Pakistan if necessary.
CM orders to ensure merit in case
Earlier in the day, Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Lahore Operations Faisal Kamran said Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz had ordered authorities to proceed to the merits in the case of alleged kidnapping of two foreign women.
“The chief minister said that the matter should be dealt with on merits and whoever committed the crime would be punished,” Faisal Kamran said at a press conference in Lahore on Sunday.
Speaking to the press, DIG Operations Kamran said the two foreign women arrived in Lahore on June 29 and were allegedly kidnapped soon after.
He said police launched an investigation after tracking down the vehicle involved and examining its travel history using Safe City cameras. He said the vehicle was tracked while taking the highway to Sargodha, while raids were also carried out in Shahdara and Defence.
Kamran said the first ransom call was received on July 1 from a man identified as Carlos, who informed police that Spanish authorities had also been informed. He added that the Safe City Authority received a call on the emergency hotline the same day.
He said four suspects were arrested on July 2 after police traced phone numbers, vehicle details and location data.
According to a police officer, the women were then taken to the airport by suspect Raza Dar during an altercation near Bhatta Chowk. The vehicle crashed, the women jumped out and took refuge in a filtration room, where the police then rescued them.
DIG Operations dismissed reports that the women appeared on their own and said the women said Punjab Police rescued them.
“The statement of the foreign women is available and they said that the Punjab Police rescued them,” the police officer said.
Kamran said the statements were recorded in the presence of a magistrate and not under police surveillance. After medical examination and legal proceedings, the women were allowed to leave the country.
He said the embassy requested the women’s early departure, but police asked for an extra day to record their statements.
“We told them to give us one more day so that their statements could be recorded,” Kamran added.
DIG Operations also said that when a relative of a major political figure becomes suspicious, senior officers are informed and the family is contacted to verify the information before further action is taken.
