Police arrested a factory owner on Wednesday and are continuing the search for other suspects allegedly involved in the gang rape of two girls in Lahore, police officials told Dawn.com.

Lahore Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Ghulam Mehmood Dogar took notice of the incident which occurred in the limits of Gujjarpura police station. "The other suspects involved in the incident will be arrested soon," said the CCPO, adding that the girls will be provided protection.

A first information report was registered by a woman on September 1 (today) under Sections 375-A (rape) and 337-J (causing hurt by means of poison) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

According to the FIR, a copy of which is available with Dawn.com, the woman said her daughter, 18, had gone to pick up clothes with her cousin, 16, from Fazal Park on August 31 but did not return. The FIR said she and other family members got worried and started searching for the two girls but they were not found.

The FIR said her daughter had called a close family friend and informed that unidentified men had forcefully abducted her and her cousin at 8pm from Chowk Begum Kot and taken them to an unknown place at Karol Ghatti where they drugged the two and raped them throughout the night.

The woman went to Karol Ghatti where she found the two girls at the gate of a factory, according to the FIR. It identified the factory owner, another two individuals and four unknown individuals as suspects who had allegedly drugged and raped the girls.

"A rape case should be registered against them and justice should be done with us after a medical analysis of my daughter and niece," the woman said in the FIR.

Meanwhile, Lahore Deputy Inspector General of Police (Operations) Suhail Chaudhry too said the suspects were being traced and would be arrested soon. He said senior police officials were involved in the investigation and that a factory owner had been arrested upon being identified by the girls who were in police custody.

"Other aspects of the matter are being investigated with the help of CDR (call data record). Protection of women has been made a priority [and] we will ensure every possible measure," he said.

CM Buzdar takes notice

Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar also took notice of the incident and sought a report from the CCPO. He also ordered the immediate arrest of the suspects involved in the alleged incident.

"Justice should be provided to the girls who were a target of injustice at any cost. It is the responsibility of the government to bring justice to the affected girls," he said.

CM Buzdar said suspects involved in such incidents did not "deserve" any concession.

Harassment incidents

The case is the latest in a string of incidents involving violence on or harassment of women in Lahore and other cities in recent weeks.

Last month, Lahore Police registered a first information report (FIR) against hundreds of men for harassing and assaulting a female TikToker and her companions in the city's Greater Iqbal Park on Independence Day.

Police moved into action and arrested dozens of suspects after videos of the episode went viral and sparked an outrage on social media.

In a second incident that took place on Independence Day, a woman travelling in a rickshaw in Lahore was harassed by a man amidst the rush of cars.

At least three key suspects were arrested in connection with the incident after being identified through social media video clips and Safe City Authority cameras.