Woman raped at gunpoint at popular hiking trail in capital

A man lured a woman to Islamabad on the pretext of a job before taking her to a popular trail in the capital where he raped her at gunpoint, it emerged on Friday.

The Kohsar police station registered a first information report (FIR) on Thursday. The survivor, who was the complainant, told police that the accused claimed they were going for an interview. Instead, he took her to a secluded park on the popular Trail 3 at around 3pm and raped her.

According to the survivor, the accused who identified himself as Noman contacted her via WhatsApp around a couple of months ago. During their conversation, Noman told her he was an accountant in the education department.

The woman said she was an FSC (Intermediate) and had been looking for work for some time, the police report continues.

Noman told her that there were openings in his department and he could get her the job for Rs50,000. 

The woman, a resident of Muridke in Sheikhupura district, agreed to come to Islamabad for the interview with the cash.

She arrived in Rawalpindi on Wednesday and stayed with a relative. On the same day, she met Noman and paid him Rs30,000. She was supposed to pay the remaining Rs20,000 after getting the job, the FIR added.

Also read Teen, women ‘gang-raped’

Noman told her that she had to meet a senior officer for an interview, a ‘formality’, after which she would get the job, the survivor told police.

They agreed to meet the next day, Thursday, on which the heinous crime took place. She said her attacker was armed and threatened her with dire consequence if she tried to shout for help or seek legal help later.

She said that Noman dropped her back after the incident, and she narrated the story to her relative. After that, they decided to come to the police.

The survivor was sent for a medical examination while police said it was obtaining surveillance footage of the ‘Safe City’ cameras to identify the accused. 

‘Triggering’

The latest incident of sexual violence is another reminder of the predators in parks and recreational spots in and around the capital. It also shows the hollowness of security claims by city administrators and law enforcers, who have spent millions on projects to improve surveillance.

“I was at the trail yesterday and I frequent this particular trail the most for my evening hikes. I won’t be going anywhere near this trail,” wrote a user on Twitter.

Aleena Khan, a young development professional, told The Express Tribune that the secluded areas and sub-trails were extremely unsafe. “I have never gone hiking alone or even with female friends. I always go in groups or with male companions,” she said.

Khan said she had ordered a taser and was also exploring other avenues to better protect herself. She said a number of her friends and colleagues were doing the same.

In February, another violent rape took place when a couple in the popular F-9 Park were attacked by armed men, who gang-raped the woman. Police later claimed that the two men involved in the rape had been killed in a ‘shoot-out’.