Park rape case takes a dramatic turn

Victim’s lawyer alleges extrajudicial killing of the main suspects

ISLAMABAD: The F-9 Park rape case took an unexpected turn when the victim’s lawyer claimed the two accused were killed in an extrajudicial killing a day after Islamabad police claimed they were killed in an encounter.

On February 16, the Islamabad Police claimed that it had gunned down two suspects who opened fire on officers at the sector D-12 check post in Islamabad when police asked them to stop for routine checks.

Following the investigation, the police revealed that these two, Nawab Ali and Iqbal, were also the main accused in the rape case in F-9, Park. In a press conference, the lawyer for the F-9 Park rape victim claimed that the suspects were killed in a fake police encounter.

Advocate Imaan Mazari countered the police version and said that the accused were arrested on February 15 and were shot dead under mysterious circumstances, raising questions over the performance and handling of the case by the police.

The suspects were already in police custody, she said, and the victim had confirmed their identities. Mazari expressed regret that the victim’s identity had also been revealed, which she claims is a crime under Pakistani law.

The unfortunate incident occurred on February 2, according to the lawyer, and the suspects were arrested on February 15.

The victim was informed at 4:30 pm that she had been called by police for the identification of suspects. “I went to the police station and registered my entry.”

Mazari stated that she attempted to approach SSP Maria to conduct the DNA test because she had custody of the suspects. She questioned why the accused were killed extrajudicially. She revealed that both suspects were present at the CIA police station. The federal capital police have filed a FIR at Goldra Police Station in connection with a fake encounter in Sector D-12, Islamabad. The accused, Nawab Ali and Iqbal, were picked up from their home, according to the report, and one of them was a motorcycle mechanic.

The incident

On February 2, two armed men allegedly raped a woman at gunpoint in Islamabad’s F-9 Park, shocking the nation in the federal capital, which is considered the safest city of the country, especially in comparison to others due to the presence of VVIPs and foreigners.

As the news spread and social activists began protesting in the Federal Capital, the Senate Standing Committee on Human Rights took note of the tragic incident and directed the Islamabad police to find the accused and submit their report as soon as possible.

According to the FIR filed on February 2, the victim was visiting the park with a male companion when she was raped at gunpoint by the suspects.

The woman and her colleague were at the park when two armed suspects arrived, held them hostage, and moved them to a forested area of the park.

At gunpoint, the two armed men forced the woman and her colleague into nearby bushes before separating them. They then physically assaulted the woman while she begged them to let her go.

The FIR filed by the victim at the Margala Police Station further stated that she even offered them money to let her go, but they did not relent.

According to the FIR, the accused even threatened the victim with calling more friends to attack her if she did not stop raising her voice. The victim attempted to flee, but her attempts were thwarted by the gun-wielding attackers.

After raping her, the attackers returned all of the victim’s and her colleague’s belongings and even offered them a thousand rupees to keep quiet about the incident.

The FIR also read that the alleged rapists told the victim that she should not have been in the park at that time of the night, as it’s not safe.

The number of crime cases in the federal capital, which is considered safe due to the safe city project, is increasing. Despite their responsibilities to maintain law and order, the majority of Islamabad police officers are on protocol duty for VIPs, which is one of the major reasons for increased criminal activity in the city. Every three years, approximately 50 rape cases are reported in Islamabad.

A few days after the rape at F-9 Park, another girl was allegedly raped near the Shalimar police station.

As per the FIR, the victim contacted two men a few days ago and asked for their assistance in finding her a job. The two had offered her a job with their friend’s company. They picked her up from F-11 Markaz, where she had arrived on their instructions.

Later, they took her to a deserted area and raped her at gunpoint before taking her to the F-10 roundabout and releasing her.