As the country faces a sexual violence epidemic, Lahore has witnessed a concerning spike in violence against women, with six rape cases and three sexual harassment incidents reported across the city within a few days, Dawn News reported. The crimes occurred across high-profile “A-category” police station jurisdictions, including Kahna, Nishtar Colony, Kot Lakhpat, Nawab Town, Shahdara Town, and Factory Area.
According to police reports, the incidents highlight a range of predatory tactics and vulnerable situations. One incident took place in Baghbanpura, where a suspect lured a 15-year-old mentally challenged girl into an isolated area, where he attempted to assault her. In a horrific event of a plotted crime in Kahna, a woman using a ride-hailing service was offered employment by her driver. Upon meeting to discuss the position, she was gang-raped by the driver and his accomplice. The perpetrators filmed the assault and subsequently used the footage to blackmail her into further abuse.
In two separate domestic incidents in Hanjrawala and Kot Lakhpat, men illegally broke into their former wives’ homes, physically assaulted them, and committed rape while threatening harm to them and their children. A local resident in Nawab Town filed charges against a man who initiated a physical relationship under the premise of marriage, only to abandon her after she became pregnant. The police have also registered cases against individuals accused of repeatedly sexually assaulting women over extended periods in Nishtar Colony and Shahdara Town
