Daily Times

A suspect in the motorway gang rape case surrendered before the Lahore Police on Sunday and claimed that he was not involved in the highway incident, a private TV channel reported.

Waqarul Hassan was among the two suspects identified by the Punjab government on Saturday for their alleged involvement in the heinous crime which has angered the whole nation and prompted countrywide protests.

The key suspect, Abid Ali, is still at large and police teams are conducting raids at different locations to apprehend him.

A day earlier, Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar held a press conference alongside Law Minister Raja Basharat, Information Minister Fayyazul Hasan Chohan and Inspector General of Police Inam Ghani in which he announced that the government had been able to trace the ‘real culprits’ in the case. IGP Inam Ghani had said it was confirmed through scientific evidence that the primary suspect in the case was Abid Ali, a resident of Fort Abbas in Bahawalnagar district. He also said police were ’95-96 per cent’ sure of the identity of Ali’s accomplice, 37-year-old Waqarul Hassan, whose presence at the crime scene was shown by telephone data.

On Sunday, Model Town Crime Investigation Agency (CIA) Deputy Superintendent of Police Hasnain Haider conducted a raid in Sheikhupura to arrest Hassan. Police were unable to arrest him but his friend assured them that Hassan would surrender soon. Later in the day, Hassan and his friend approached the police and surrendered. Hassan said that he had nothing to do with the rape.

He told the police that he has a spare parts workshop and he was in Lahore on the day of the incident to purchase spare parts. DSP Haider said that Hassan has been taken into custody as the investigation continues. According to officials, Hassan had been released in one of two robbery cases only 14 days ago.

According to reports, Waqar surrendered himself at the Model Town police station. He claimed that his brother-in-law is using his mobile phone. “He refused to surrender himself along with me but he may do so soon. He was involved in some criminal activities with Abid Ali and is still in contact with him,” Waqar reportedly told police.

Claiming innocence in the gang rape, he asked the officials to get his DNA test done. Speaking to a private TV channel, Waqar’s mother said that her son is ‘innocent’ and that he decided to surrender himself after he got to know of the incident. “If my son had done something wrong, he wouldn’t have surrendered himself,” she said. The suspect’s mother appealed to Chief Minister Usman Buzdar to ensure justice is served in Waqar’s case. “My son is a pious and religious person, his life should be spared,” she said, adding, “He runs a motorcycle repairing shop in Qilla Sattar Shah. If my son was a culprit, why would he present himself [to the law enforcement agencies].”

Waqar’s father said that his son is not a ‘thief’ and ‘works at a shop’. He said Waqar is ‘innocent’ and appealed to the authorities to release him.

Meanwhile, police on Sunday arrested father and brother of the key suspect in the case. Police took the primary suspect Abid Ali’s father Akbar and his brother Qasim during a raid at Fort Abbas area of Bahawalnagar district as the investigation in the case continued.

The victim, in early 30s and a resident of Lahore’s Defence Housing Society, was stuck on the motorway with her two children at around 1am after her car ran out of petrol. As she tried to arrange for help, two men approached her and took her and her children (below eight) into the nearby fields at gunpoint.

Once in the field, the attackers raped the woman in front of her children. By the time a police party and a relative the woman had called reached the scene, the attackers had fled, taking with them the cash and valuables the victim was carrying with her.

The country has been seething with anger as details emerged of the gang-rape, with protests held on Saturday in parts of the country. The indifferent and unhelpful remarks by Lahore’s police chief added fuel to the fire. CCPO Umer Sheikh invited criticism when he pontificated that the victim had failed to take due precautions before setting off for her journey. During Saturday’s presser, Chief Minister Buzdar said the IGP had issued a show-cause notice to the CCPO and sought a written reply within seven days.