CM Buzdar says suspects of motorway gang rape case identified

LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar said on Saturday that suspects who gang-raped and looted woman near Gujarpura on Lahore-Sialkot motorway have been identified in less than 72 hours, ARY News reported.

Addressing a press conference along with Inspector General of Police Punjab (IGP) Inam Ghani and Provincial Law Minister Raja Basharat, Usman Buzdar said that Punjab police have identified both gang-rape suspects in less than 72 hours and he was personally monitoring the probe of motorway incident.

The horrific gang rape of the woman, in front of her children, had occurred on Wednesday night on the Lahore-Sialkot motorway.

Usman Buzdar said the prime suspects in Lahore’s motorway gang-rape case has been identified as 27-year-old Abid Ali s/o Akbar Ali and Waqarul Hassan. “The DNA samples of both suspects have matched with evidence collected from the victim.”

Speaking over the CCPO Lahore Umar Sheikh remarks about a motorway rape victim, Usman Buzdar said that the show-cause notice has been issued to CCPO over ‘irresponsible statement’ and action will be taken against him after submission of his reply to the show-cause notice.

The chief minister also announced an Rs2.5 million reward for anyone providing information about the suspects involved in the gang-rape of a woman on Lahore-Sialkot motorway.

CM Usman Buzdar said, “The investigators have traced a previous criminal record of both suspects in the Lahore motorway gang rape. One suspect has been identified as, Abid Ali, while the other one as Waqar. Abid Ali is a resident of Fort Abbas’ and both of them are involved in various robbery incidents.”

“Seven cases have already registered against Abid Ali and two against Waqarul Hassan,” said Buzdar, adding that accused Waqar-ul-Hassan was released from prison 14 days ago.

CM said: “I have contacted the victim woman and assured her of providing complete justice,” adding that the accused involved in such heinous crimes would not be spared any at cost.

On this occasion, IG Punjab Inam Ghani said the accused have been identified and police were conducting raids on various places, including Qila Sattar Shah area in Sheikhupura.

The police had traced record of the accused and investigation on modern techniques was being carried out, he told media.

The IG said other law enforcement agencies, including the CTD, were also conducting raids to arrest the accused at the earliest.

Earlier in the day, ARY News reported that the suspected criminal, Abid Ali, along with accomplices had raped two women including mother and her daughter in 2013 after storming into their house.

Sources added that police teams have so far arrested 18 suspects including two facilitators in the horrifying incident of gang-rape of a mother of two near Gujjarpura area. During the initial interrogation, it is revealed that the victim had been beaten by sticks before being gang-raped by the culprits.