21-year-old girl kidnapped, raped in Karachi's Gulshan-i-Hadeed

E-Paper | March 18, 2026

A 21-year-old girl was kidnapped and allegedly raped in Karachi's Gulshan-i-Hadeed area within the limits of Steel Town police, officials said on Thursday.

SSP Investigation (Malir) Abid Husain Qaimkhani said the girl along with her family members was standing near a park in Phase-II of Gulshan-i-Hadeed on Wednesday at around 7:30pm when three suspects travelling in a car abducted her.

According to the complaint filed by the victim's father, one of the suspects who he claimed is a neighbour raped the girl and the men later abandoned her near her residence in Hadeed.

Read: 'Why is DNA evidence not given weight in Pakistani courts?'

The Steel Town police early on Thursday registered a first information report (161/2018) under Sections 367-A (kidnapping for purpose of subjecting victim to natural lust), 367-B (punishment for gang-rape) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code and arrested two suspects nominated in the complaint. Efforts were underway to arrest the third suspect, police said.

SSP Qaimkhani said the girl’s medical examination was carried out at the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) where doctors confirmed that she was raped.

The police also seized the car used during the incident.

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 children.

Violence against women

Pakistan

Imtiaz Ali is a Karachi-based reporter for Dawn with over 25 years of experience in the field. His reporting portfolio encompasses crime, politics, and the provincial legislature, alongside coverage of the courts, government affairs, and the health sector.

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Pakistani baluch

Jun 21, 2018 11:34pm

Pak Police needs to start taking this abuse seriously. These evil criminals need to be dealt with very severely

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Alba

Jun 21, 2018 11:46pm

When they rape a girl it is not adultery. They don't commit a sin. That is their mindset.

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Aleem

Jun 21, 2018 11:53pm

And instead of making the country safe for women, our politicians are busy in criticizing women for not being good enough mothers, as if they are good fathers.

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Ahmed

Jun 22, 2018 12:28am

This cannot be tolerated. Not only must the perpetrators be found and punished , their parents or guardians should be out on trial to determine negligence on their part for their up bringing. Parents cannot let loose animals into society without consequences.

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Gautam

Jun 22, 2018 12:31am

Unless the women of the subcontinent rise , this place will be a backward hell.

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lion

Jun 22, 2018 12:36am

Sindh and Karachi police has no forensics. Punjab to the rescue again! and Punjab gets worse flak .

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Anand

Jun 22, 2018 12:38am

Please ! No politics here. At any / all costs, No mercy for these animals. Locate, Prosecute. Maximum sentence. With utmost care for victim

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Life

Jun 22, 2018 01:01am

I hope the victim will get the justice. How a neighbour could be so cruel.

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Ifima Khan

Jun 22, 2018 01:03am

With society like that why do we blame gov.

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Zeeshan khan

Jun 22, 2018 01:36am

Justice must be served quickly

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Astonished!

Jun 22, 2018 01:57am

I am truly saddened by this and shocked at how low our society has become.

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Zahid raza

Jun 22, 2018 02:27am

The government of Pakistan has failed to secure life, property and honour of citizens because it is not interested in uphold law and constitution and safeguard the basic rights of people.

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Amjad Durrani Engineer USA

Jun 22, 2018 02:36am

These deleterious happenings all over the country perpetually, ominously putting chastity of minors and teenage girls, in a harm’s way, should be a source of serious concern to the parents & others. With easy access to pornographic literature & videos on internet, & insufficient surveilence of known sex predators moving in & out of our poor & congested communities, are the main causes of occurring of these unfortunate happenings. The handling of such cases in a sluggish manner and their snail paced processing in courts, which already have a backlog of 1.8 million cases awaiting resolution, is not consoling to the victims who have to undergo mental agony and humiliation during hearing of such cases spreading to years together. This action provoking crime should be dealt with very seriously and expediously to overcome its repitition. Our legal ministry should revisit the penal code related to this crime and get an amended law approved, by removing legal lacunaes, through the parliament.

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Guyver

Jun 22, 2018 03:45am

There should be 0 tolerence for the culprits responsible for this sad incident. As commited by the senior police officer recently who cried during his press conference, they should do their job to find him & the court with transparency punish all the culprits & help the poor girl to get justice. It is so easy for some sick minded gangster or vadera/politician son or relative to do whatever he wills & not to ever fear that he can escape the courts of this world but who will save him from the moment when the last breadth will escape his lips & he will be shown all the pain & harm he gave to the people in his lifetime & at that time no one will be able to save him from getting the ultimate punishment. May the mercy of the lord be upon the victim girl & all those around the world who have suffered in life as they were innocent & weak. I never heard of such incident happening to any daughter of a powerful / political figure. If it ever happened then see how quick justice is served.

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THE MORNING STAR

Jun 22, 2018 04:36am

Kidnapping and rape. Dawn don't let this one get away. Keep this story alive until justice is done.

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Abbas kd

Jun 22, 2018 04:42am

Pakistani police never prevents a crime being committed or never comes to help while the crime is being committed but always acts like an investigative agency only after the innocent people have been victimised of these brutal crimes, wake up #PakistaniPolice and #StopCrimes.

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hamza

Jun 22, 2018 05:10am

Should be brought to justice on immediate basis

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john

Jun 22, 2018 05:24am

all girls please carry Pistol, Revolver, knives etc. to protect themselves

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Vijay B..

Jun 22, 2018 06:39am

"one of the suspects who he claimed is a neighbour raped the girl and the men later abandoned her near her residence" A neighbor had the audacity to abduct this young girl in the presence of her family in broad daylight?

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Pure ind

Jun 22, 2018 06:54am

Only because few cases get reported doesn't mean that there are no crimes committed.

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Illawarrrior

Jun 22, 2018 07:23am

What is it with these animals?

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Leoman

Jun 22, 2018 07:37am

Rape culprits must be very strictly and quickly punished to stop further happenings. CjP is the last resort otherwise, it has become a very light subject.

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Zahir

Jun 22, 2018 08:27am

The powerful are untouchable. Thats why they in front of her family picked her and victimised her.

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Surya Kant

Jun 22, 2018 09:04am

As long as men consider women a expendable commodity, these will continue.

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Adnan Mazher Khan

Jun 22, 2018 09:12am

Most shameful incident which cannot be condoned. We want justice to be seen.

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Javed

Jun 22, 2018 10:43am

What a pity, here I request chief justice Saqib Nisar to take notice. The poor girl was standing with her parents and the culprits has no fear of law or society. This is called jungle rule.

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Be honest

Jun 23, 2018 08:43am

Lack of religious, ethics and moral education at home and institutions breeds the ground for human to become hounds and wander in the streets to fulfill their lusts so daringly openly during the day light. Lack of accountability and setting up of our law and enforcement agencies, have leveled a ground for these criminals to flourish openly in the society. Parents of those criminals are clearly responsible for shameful acts committed by their children. They must bear responsibility and criminals must get 20 lashes each and 20 years imprisonment for tarnishing and shattering innocence of the girl.

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Srimanta

Jun 23, 2018 10:56am

@Aleem correct before pointing fingers at INDIA please learn to respect your own women

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Amir Khan

Jun 23, 2018 01:41pm

The harshest punishment possible under the lawa of the country should be applied. Actually we should start imposing Shariah Laws in such cases to discourage and preempt similar instances. When will we see a day that women walk freely across the streets in Pakistan without any fear, threat or repercussions. We need to pluck a leaf out of successful policies and strategies of the UAE, where women feel safe, protected and secured even while alone at night. The chastity of the respectable, honourable and modest women of Pakistan needs to be guaranteed and safeguarded by the Government, Law Enforcement Agencies and Society at large.

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Iqbal Hussain

Jun 23, 2018 03:44pm

Trial the suspects in special court and bring them to justice soon. Strict and strong measures are needed to stop such cases in the country.

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kante

Jun 24, 2018 08:04am

Pakistan justice system has become a joke and lawyers and judges are big part of this joke. Fear the day when public will break into courts and rape lawyers and judges in open court. Mark these words. It will happen in open courts if justice is not served.

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aiza

Jun 24, 2018 08:32am

Serious action needs to be taken against such culprits to alleviate grievances of the victims and to preclude such incidents in future.

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