Islamabad police on Thursday arrested a policeman deployed in the capital over charges of raping a female domestic worker.

On the woman's complaint, police registered a first information report (FIR) under section 376 (punishment for rape) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) and arrested the nominated suspect — a constable stationed at Police Lines Headquarters.

See: Crimes against women: The stories we all forgot

The woman stated in her complaint that she was waiting at a bus stop on Wednesday evening when she was approached by a young man travelling in a car. The man inquired about her profession and offered to accompany her to his relative's house for some domestic work, to which the woman agreed.

Upon reaching the house, located on the third floor of a building, the woman said she was pulled into the house by another man who was already present there.

The accused, who later turned out to be a policeman, then started assaulting her and subjected her to rape, the woman alleged.

The woman, in a video footage recorded by reporters, is seen alleging that the accused policeman was under the influence of drugs when he assaulted her.

According to the woman, the accused did not pay heed to her pleas to let her go. Eventually, she was able to escape the scene and run to a flat downstairs to seek help.

The accused policeman was arrested early on Thursday, while the woman was allowed to go home after a medical examination. The awaited report of the medical exam will ascertain if rape took place.

Since the beginning of 2018, there has been a marked upsurge in the reporting of sexual abuse cases across Pakistan. The brutal rape and murder of Zainab Ansari in Kasur earlier this year in particular shocked the entire country, with #JusticeforZainab becoming the rallying cry in a nationwide drive to end violence against women and children.

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