Sanaullah rejects call for Ishaq Dar’s resignation over foreign women case

LAHORE: Prime Minister’s Adviser on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah on Sunday dismissed Senator Faisal Vawda’s demand that Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar resign, saying the call had no basis and alleging that efforts were under way to connect Dar to the case involving two foreign women.

Speaking on Geo News programme Naya Pakistan, Sanaullah said the matter was being inflated unnecessarily and described attempts to make it a larger issue. He also said attempts were being made to steer the case towards Ishaq Dar, while adding that each person was answerable for their own conduct.

In remarks aired during the programme, Sanaullah said the statements of the two foreign women had been recorded under Section 164 and that investigators had complete evidence in the case. He said no additional evidence was needed for submission of the challan and the start of trial proceedings. He added that the women could be brought back to Pakistan if required during the legal process.

The case surfaced after an FIR was lodged at Lahore’s Defence C Police Station against five suspects, including Muhammad Raza Dar, who was identified in the report as the grandson of a prominent political figure. The case concerns the alleged kidnapping, extortion and sexual assault of two foreign nationals, one Spanish and one Dutch.

Police briefing on investigation

Earlier on Sunday, Lahore DIG Operations Faisal Kamran said Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz had directed authorities to handle the case strictly on merit. Addressing a press conference in Lahore, he said the chief minister had ordered that whoever was found to have committed the crime should be punished.

Kamran said the two women reached Lahore on June 29 and were allegedly abducted shortly afterwards. He said police began the inquiry by tracing the vehicle involved and reviewing its movement through Safe City cameras. According to him, the vehicle was tracked on the motorway towards Sargodha, while police also conducted raids in Shahdara and Defence.

The DIG said the first ransom call was received on July 1 from a man identified as Carlos, who told police that Spanish authorities had also been informed. He added that the Safe City Authority received a call on the emergency helpline the same day.

Kamran said four suspects were arrested on July 2 after police used phone records, vehicle information and location data to trace them. The women were later being taken to the airport by suspect Raza Dar when a dispute took place near Bhatta Chowk. The vehicle then crashed, after which the women got out and sought refuge in a filter house, where police later recovered them.

The DIG rejected reports suggesting the women had appeared on their own and said they had stated that Punjab Police rescued them. He said their statements were recorded before a magistrate rather than under police supervision. He added that after medical examinations and completion of legal formalities, the women were permitted to leave the country.

Kamran further said the embassy had sought the women’s early departure, but police requested one additional day so their statements could be recorded. He also said that once a relative of a major political figure surfaced as a suspect, senior police officers were informed and the family was contacted to verify the information before further action was taken.