By: News Desk 92Pavilion
A shocking case of alleged kidnapping, gang rape, and extortion involving two foreign women in Lahore has rocked Pakistan’s political circles after the principal suspect was identified as Muhammad Raza Dar, grandson of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar. Three accomplices Hassan Raza, Sikandar Khan, and Sajid Ali were also arrested alongside him, while a fifth suspect, referred to only as “Boss” in the police report, remains at large as raids continue across Punjab.
According to the First Information Report registered by Lahore Police, the two victims Stephanie Adriana, a Dutch national, and Astrid Robinson Bracho, from Venezuela first met Muhammad Raza Dar in Singapore in October 2025 through a business connection. He is accused of later inviting the women to Pakistan and arranging their visas. The two arrived in the country on June 29 and were allegedly taken to a house in Lahore’s upscale Defence Housing Authority (DHA) neighborhood, where police say they were held captive, robbed of cash and valuables, physically assaulted, and repeatedly raped over several days, with a ransom of roughly $1.5 million demanded for their release.
The case broke open after the father of one of the victims placed a distress call from Spain to Lahore Police’s Rescue 15 helpline, reporting that his daughter and her friend had gone missing and that the family was receiving ransom demands from Lahore. The complaint triggered an urgent response from Punjab authorities, further accelerated by the involvement of the Dutch ambassador to Pakistan. Police say they traced the victims to the DHA residence and rescued them within hours, arresting four of the five accused on the spot.
Lahore Deputy Inspector General (Operations) Faisal Kamran confirmed that medical examinations of the victims found evidence consistent with rape and said police have obtained physical remand of the four suspects to recover the weapons allegedly used during the assault. Asked directly about the principal suspect’s family ties to Ishaq Dar, Kamran did not deny the connection, saying the law applies equally to everyone and that the operation was carried out on the directions of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz. A Lahore court has ordered the accused be produced again on July 8 along with an updated investigation report.
The political fallout has been swift and sharp. Senator Faisal Vawda publicly demanded Ishaq Dar’s resignation, calling the case a national disgrace and accusing the government of trying to downplay it by treating it as a mere extortion matter rather than a rape case. Former Sindh Governor Imran Ismail also weighed in, warning that the case reflects elite impunity and could damage Pakistan’s international image. Neither Ishaq Dar nor his family have issued a public statement so far, and his continued silence has drawn wide attention across Pakistani media. With one suspect still on the run, the case is expected to stay at the center of Pakistan’s political and public conversation in the coming days.
