Four minors among six ‘sexually assaulted’

16-year-old boy was taken by suspects to an empty plot after a wedding function where he was gang-raped

KURIANWALA:

Two women and four minors were allegedly sexually assaulted in the city on Tuesday.

Police registered cases against the suspects and started raids to arrest them.

According to the police report, in the case filed by Sadia Ghulam Mustafa, a resident of Kehkashan Colony No 2, Madina Town, it was stated that her sister was allegedly raped.

Sadia and her sister, the victim, were living with their uncle named Abdul Jabbar, the son of Muhammad Hanif, since four months.

On the day of the incident, the victim’s family went to attend a birthday function.

Sadia and her younger sister were at home when the suspect knocked on the door.

The victim went to open the door when the suspect identified as Abid Hussain, the son of Khadim along with Ashraf alias Koda barged into the house with arms. The suspects allegedly raped the woman and also physically assaulted her for resisting.

Meanwhile, when the victim’s uncle reached home, the suspects hit him with the butt of a pistol and injured him. The alleged rapists managed to flee from the crime scene.

Separately, a woman was working at a local factory on Maqbool Road when the suspect identified as Mirza Atif Hafeez took her to a room on the roof of the factory. The suspect allegedly raped her.

In Jaranwala Road, near Yasin Chowk, a 17-year-old boy was raped by Abdul Ghafoor.

Meanwhile, a minor, the son of Zafar Iqbal was raped in Sabz Mandi Sudhar area by Liaqat, Basit and another suspect.

Moreover, a five-year-old boy, the cousin of Roy Jahanzeb was raped by Nasir in Chak No 632GB.

A 16-year-old boy, the cousin of Asad and a resident of Chak No 122GB, Jaranwala Road, was taken by suspects Ilyas alias Gul, Hasnain Ali and others to an empty plot after a wedding function where they gang raped him.

Police had registered separate cases against the suspects under Section 376 and 377 PPC and started raids to arrest the fugitives.

Incidents of sexual violence against women and minors were rampant across the province.

On February 28, two boys and a woman were allegedly sexually assaulted in Chak Jhumra.

The 12-year-old son of Muhammad Ilyas, a resident of 56JB on Narwala Road, along with his 14-year-old cousin, the son of Nazir, had gone to see the henna function of Dilawar Jutt where the suspect Naveed, son of Liaqat, and Ali, son of Ashraf alias Achhi, threatened them at gunpoint.

The suspects took them to a nearby crop field, where they subjected the minors to sexual abuse.

On February 5, a 20-year-old woman was gang-raped by two of her neighbours in Mozang area.

On January 31, two teenage girls were sexually assaulted in separate incidents in Dijkot.

On January 21, it was revealed that a teenage girl became pregnant after allegedly being raped by unknown persons in Chak Jhumra.

The 13-year-old girl was sexually assaulted by unknown persons who abandoned her when her condition deteriorated. As a result of the incident, the minor girl was diagnosed to be pregnant.

On March 26, the PTI-led federal government decided to set up anti-rape crisis cells in every district in order to curb the growing incidents of sexual assault in the country. These cells will be overseen by an Anti-Rape Ordinance Implementation Committee.

Reportedly, the Federal Ministry of Law constituted the 42-member Anti-Rape Ordinance Implementation Committee to be headed by PTI leader Maleeka Bokhari. Barrister Ambreen Abbasi will be the secretary of the committee.

(THE VICTIMS’ IDENTITIES HAVE NOT BEEN DISCLOSED AS A MATTER OF POLICY)

Published in The Express Tribune, April 14^th, 2021.