ISLAMABAD: The chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on Interior has taken notice of a case in which a woman and her friend were assaulted, threatened and humiliated by a man.

Senator Rehman Malik has details of the incident from the police and directed that the victim and her family be provided security.

He has also directed the Federal Investigation Authority (FIA) to look into how the suspect in the case fled the country after an FIR was registered against him.

A woman who was living with her friend in G-11 lodged a complaint with police against the man in question, leading to the registration of a case under sections 354 (assault or criminal force to a woman with an intent to outrage her modesty) and 506ii (criminal intimidation) of the Pakistan Penal Code and section 25-d of the Telegraph Act.

According to the FIR, the victim had become acquainted with the suspect, a resident of Ghauri Town, and he had proposed to her but she later learned that he was already married with children. When the woman tried to break up with him, he threatened her.

A week ago, the FIR said, the man showed up at the woman’s residence and called her outside.

He then pulled out a pistol, threatened her and punched her in front of her friend. He also pointed the gun at her friend and hit her with it. The suspect later also made threatening calls to the complainant.

A video of the armed suspect threatening the two women has gone viral on social media, which also shows him asked one of them to sit on the ground and apologise to him.

Ramna police have registered a case since receiving the complaint and approached the FIA to arrest the suspect.

The FIA was also asked to intercept the man if he tried to leave the country, but the police later learned that he had already travelled abroad and was in China, from where he called a friend of his and asked about the case registered against him.

Senator Malik sought details of the incident from both the capital and Rawalpindi police by Dec 20.

Published in Dawn, December 17th, 2018