LAHORE: Eight suspects allegedly gang-raped a woman in front of her husband in Hafizabad on May 25, filmed the crime and later uploaded the footage to social media, which prompted police action.

According to initial reports, the survivor and her husband, residents of Lahore, were traveling on a motorcycle to visit family in Hafizabad. While passing through the Kassoki area, they stopped briefly, where the gun men intercepted them at gunpoint.

The suspects allegedly abducted the couple and took them to a location about a kilometer away, where four other accomplices were already present. There, the suspects tied up the husband and subjected the woman to gang rape. The assailants also recorded the assault and, in a further act of cruelty and humiliation, reportedly forced the husband under threat to commit acts which were also filmed.

The survivor and her husband initially chose to remain silent, fearing social stigma and the suspects’ reported influence in the area. However, they approached the police after videos of the incident began circulating online.

The alleged gang-rape survivor’s husband named four of the alleged attackers in his complaint, while the identities of the others are yet to be confirmed. In addition to the sexual violence, the suspects also took away cash, gold ornaments and a mobile phone from the couple.

Hafizabad District Police Officer Atif Nazir took immediate notice and directed the registration of a case.

The case was handed over to the crime control department, and a team of experienced officers has been formed to investigate and apprehend all those involved.

An FIR was lodged under sections 496A (rape), 365 (kidnapping), section 354A (assault on woman’s modesty), 375A (gang rape), 382 (robbery), section 337A (physical assault), section 506B (criminal intimidation) and sections 505, 148, 149(incitement, unlawful assembly and conspiracy).

The rape survivor was taken to hospital for medical examination, and the police have pledged to use all available resources to ensure swift justice.

Published in Dawn, June 4th, 2025