‘Influential’ accused: Rape suspects sent on judicial remand

Victim said her medical tests have still not been carried out as the authorities are using delayed tactics.

KOHAT: Two men accused of raping a woman in Shakardara were handed over to the police on a one-day remand on Friday. Safdar Qureshi, brother of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Deputy Speaker Imtiaz Shahid Qureshi, and his accomplice Asmat Qureshi were produced in a local court after a rape case was registered against them on Wednesday. The victim, Farahnaz*, told The Express Tribune, “We voted for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf to bring a change in society but they are entering people’s houses and sexually assaulting them.” She added the accused are powerful people and claimed they are attempting to take out certain sections from the FIR. Farahnaz said her medical tests had still not been carried out as the authorities were using delaying tactics to try to hush up the case. The FIR stated that the woman’s family members had left the house on Wednesday to harvest wheat in their fields when Safdar and Asmat barged into her house and allegedly thrashed and raped her.

*Name changed to protect identity

Published in The Express Tribune, May 10^th, 2014.