Woman allegedly raped by friend in Faisalabad

Accused had promised to marry the victim and took her to a house

FAISALABAD:  

 

A woman was allegedly sexually assaulted by her friend in Jaranwala City police limits in Faisalabad on Sunday.

A police official told Express News that S*, a resident of Shad Bagh Colony, Nankana Sahib, submitted a complaint at the police station. The woman said she maintained a friendship with Khalil Ahmed.

S* maintained that the accused promised to marry her and asked to accompany him to Islampura so that they could tie the knot. The woman stated that she trusted Khalil and went with him. She said that he took her to a house in the area.

The victim said the culprit offered her a drink and she fell unconscious as soon as she drank it. S said the accused took advantage of the situation and sexually assaulted her.

The woman said that when she gained consciousness, she found out that she had been raped. The victim pointed out that the accused accepted committing the offence and promised that he would marry her soon.

Later, S* said the culprit resorted to delaying tactics and refused to marry her.

Meanwhile, the police have registered a case under Section 376 against the culprit and started an investigation. However, efforts were under way to nab the criminal.

Rape cases in Pakistan are increasing and yet the victims face discrimination stemming from stereotypes and a hostile social system.

In 2016, the country was ranked 10th in the world with respect to the frequency of rape. In 2017, Pakistan stood 6th, according to a fact sheet compiled by the Pakistani Nari Tehreek (PNT), which has more than 100 women’s rights organisations as its members.

Earlier, a report released by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) stated that incidents of rape had been doubling every year since 2014. It said 370 rape incidents were reported from across the country in 2014 and this rose to 772 in 2015 and to 1,582 in 2016.