Punjab govt to pursue alleged gang-rape case after Azerbaijani victim changes stance

Punjab Information Minister Azma Bukhari said on Friday that the provincial government would pursue the case involving the alleged gang rape of an Azerbaijani woman despite a video statement circulating on social media in which the victim said she had forgiven the suspect and did not want to pursue the case.

The minister’s statement came after a video of the victim, Diana, who was allegedly raped in Lahore earlier this year, circulated on social media in which she said her statement under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) had already been recorded before a judicial magistrate.

A video of the victim, apparently recorded on Oct 9, surfaced in which she could be seen saying that a suspect had neither assaulted her nor taken her mobile phone and belongings.

“I gave my earlier statement under pressure, and I do not want to pursue this case,” she said, requesting that the case be closed.

Later, in another video, Diana reiterated her statement, giving a clean chit to the suspect. She said she wanted to appear before the court to record her statement but was told that her life was in danger.

She further claimed that she had been forcibly sent out of Pakistan and was not allowed to express her view. She also said she wanted to forgive the other suspects and did not want to pursue the matter any further.

Speaking to a private television programme, Aaj Shahzaib Khanzada Kay Sath, Bukhari said Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz was particularly concerned about rape cases and would not allow anyone to relax until all the suspects were arrested and due process was followed.

Read: Azeri woman tells court she was 'threatened, sexually assaulted and pushed out of car'

Asked whether the Punjab government would pursue the case since the state could also pursue rape cases, she replied in the affirmative, saying the chief minister had categorically asked her to convey that she believed the state should be the complainant in cases involving crimes against women and children.

“The chief minister, as chief executive, stands with every victim and with the poor and vulnerable. Until and unless these powerful people are made an example of, such crimes cannot be eliminated,” she said.

Bukhari said the chief minister was prepared to approach the chief justice of Pakistan and the chief justice of the Lahore High Court with the information available to her.

“Whether it is a speedy trial, improving the laws or whatever is needed, she is ready to work on that,” she said, adding that CM Maryam would not allow “this hooliganism and culture of bullying” against women, children or vulnerable sections of society in Punjab.

The minister said the woman, the victim in the case, had, for one reason or another, changed her position, and the possibility of money being involved had also arisen.

However, she said the state would pursue the case because a co-suspect had already recorded a statement saying all the suspects were involved with him.

“Even if they retract this statement, it is not possible for them to get away,” she said, adding that the government would not allow anyone to take the law into their own hands.

Maryam alleges bribe offer

Earlier today, CM Maryam alleged that the family of a suspect in the case had offered Rs15 million to Rs20m to the victim to withdraw her allegations, while the judge who granted bail to the suspect had also allegedly been bribed.

“It was revealed that the accused’s wealthy family allegedly offered Rs15m to Rs20m to the victim in exchange for withdrawing her allegations, despite her statement already having been recorded under Section 164,” Maryam said in a post on X.

She further alleged that the judge who granted bail to the accused had also been bribed.

“If these allegations are true, they raise deeply disturbing questions about the integrity of the justice system and the vulnerability of rape survivors to financial pressure and the misuse of power,” she said.

Maryam said she would continue to keep a close eye on such cases to ensure that “no rapist or perpetrator escapes justice simply because he has money, influence, or connections”.

“Justice must never be for sale, and no one should be above the law,” she said.

Police warn against influencing probe

As the statements surfaced, Lahore police warned against attempts to influence the investigation into the alleged gang rape through videos circulating on social media, saying the woman’s statement under Section 164 of the CrPC had already been recorded before a judicial magistrate.

Lahore Deputy Inspector General (Investigation) Syed Zeeshan Raza said the woman had named three suspects in her judicial statement and that two arrested suspects had also acknowledged the alleged involvement of the third suspect.

He said the video statement appeared to be an attempt to influence the investigation, adding that the third suspect would be included in the investigation and the case would be completed on merit.

Also Read: Azeri woman in alleged Lahore gang-rape case returns home under police escort

The case was registered at Defence C Police Station in September after the woman alleged that three men had sexually assaulted her at an apartment in a private housing society near Raiwind during the night between Sept 25 and 26.

According to the first information report, the woman had arrived in Lahore on a business trip and was allegedly taken to a cafe by two women, where three men joined them. She alleged that she was subsequently taken to an apartment, given an intoxicating drink and sexually assaulted.

The suspects allegedly left her near the airport and took her mobile phones and other belongings.

On Sept 28, the woman recorded her statement before a judicial magistrate at the Cantonment Courts. Police subsequently identified the suspects and pursued the investigation, with several people arrested in connection with the case.

The latest developments have also raised questions about the primary suspect’s legal status. A sessions court had extended his interim pre-arrest bail until Oct 27, but police subsequently arrested him outside the court premises.

His counsel reportedly challenged the arrest, maintaining that it had taken place despite the extension of bail.

The conflicting accounts are likely to remain central to the investigation.