ISLAMABAD, April 12: A son of Pir Sibghatullah Shah Rashidi - Pir Pagara - who was booked by the capital police in a rape case 16 years back, has obtained bail before arrest to avoid disqualification in the forthcoming general elections, it has been learnt.

According to the FIR registered with the Secretariat police, a woman complained to the police in 1997 that she had come to Islamabad from Lahore along with Aamir alias Munnu in search of a job.

In Islamabad, they met a doctor who told them that he had a friend who can help her.

The two men then took her to a room in a hotel where Pir Syed Mohammad Rashid Shah Rashidi, the son of Pir Pagara, was already present. The woman alleged that the three men raped her in the room.

A senior police officer requesting not to be identified said when the incident was widely reported in the media, the then prime minister Nawaz Sharif took notice and a case was registered against the three persons.

The man who had come with the woman from Lahore was arrested but the other two suspects remained at large. Since then, however, Mr Rashidi had been visiting Islamabad regularly, he said.

During the police investigation, it was confirmed that the room where the woman was allegedly raped had been allocated to Mr Rashidi at that time.

“The suspect is now contesting elections on a provincial assembly seat from Khairpur, Sindh, on the ticket of the PML-F headed by his father. The PML-N is also supporting the party,” he said.

On Thursday, Mr Rashidi came to Islamabad and obtained the bail before arrest from the court of additional sessions judge (East) Raja Khurram Ali Khan,” he said.

Police officer Usman Abbas produced the record of the case before the court and said the complainant could not be traced due to which police did not pursue the case.

However, the third suspect did not turn up in the court, he said.

“I am sure that the suspect would not have bothered to get the bail for another 16 years had the ECP not tightened its rules. If any of the rival candidates filed a complaint against Mr Rashidi, he would have been out of the race,” said the senior police officer.

Station House Officer (SHO) Qaiser Gilani confirmed that Mr Rashidi had obtained the bail before arrest.