Relative of Pakistan Deputy PM Ishaq Dar arrested over gang rape and kidnapping allegations

A relative of Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister, Ishaq Dar, has been arrested in connection with the alleged kidnapping and gang rape of two foreign women. The individual, identified in local reporting as Muhammad Raza Dar, is among four suspects detained by police in Lahore following accusations of a coordinated abduction, sexual assault, and extortion.

According to police and First Information Reports (FIR), the two victims—nationals of the Netherlands and Venezuela—were lured to Pakistan after meeting Raza Dar in Singapore in October 2025 over a cryptocurrency venture. Upon arriving in Lahore on June 29, the women were allegedly abducted, held captive in a house, and repeatedly sexually assaulted. Statements recorded before a judicial magistrate indicate the attackers demanded a ransom, with one victim alleging that $100,000 was paid for their release.

The victims were rescued from Lahore's Defence neighborhood after the father of one woman placed a distress call from Spain, leading authorities to trace the suspects using municipal surveillance footage. A Lahore court has remanded the four arrested men to police custody as the criminal investigation continues, with a fifth suspect still at large.

The involvement of a prominent political family member has sent shockwaves through Pakistan’s establishment, introducing a volatile crisis for the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N). Law enforcement officials have publicly acknowledged the "highly sensitive" nature of the high-profile case given Dar's central role in the administration. How the government and justice system navigate the ongoing legal inquiry is likely to test the broader public perception of institutional accountability and impunity for well-connected figures.