Pakistan police arrest foreign woman rape suspect despite court order, lawyer says

Lahore police arrested Tanveer, a man accused of gang-raping a 20-year-old Azerbaijani woman, as he left a sessions court, despite an order extending his interim bail until October 27, his lawyer said.

The Crime Control Department (CCD) made the arrest, according to lawyer Safdar Shaheen Pirzada.

Why is the arrest of the Lahore rape suspect disputed?

Pirzada said the arrest violated the sessions court’s order extending Tanveer’s interim bail until October 27, which also directed authorities not to arrest him before that date.

The arrest followed a separate Sindh High Court decision granting him protective bail, which temporarily shields an accused from arrest to allow them to approach the relevant court.

The CCD took Tanveer into custody while proceedings on his interim bail were under way. The arrest triggered heated exchanges and a scuffle between police officers and lawyers outside the courtroom. A heavy police presence was reported in the area.

What are the allegations in the Azerbaijani woman’s rape case?

The case centers on allegations that three men raped the Azerbaijani woman after she travelled to Pakistan for business. The alleged assault took place on the night of September 25-26 in a rented flat in a private housing society near Raiwind, Lahore, according to the case details.

Police had sought to place the three suspects on Pakistan’s Provisional National Identification List (PNIL) after they allegedly left Lahore following the incident.

Will the alleged victim appear in court?

The alleged victim, identified as Diana, is expected to appear before the court via video link. Her lawyer said her visa had expired and authorities were not issuing a new one. The remote appearance is expected to allow the court to hear her account of the allegations.

She has also recorded a statement before a judicial magistrate under Section 164 of Pakistan’s Code of Criminal Procedure, which allows magistrates to record statements during criminal proceedings.