In a heart-wrenching and deeply disturbing incident, police in Pakistan have refused to arrest two men accused of raping a 15-year-old Christian girl. The family of the victim is now living in fear as the suspects have threatened to harm them if they do not withdraw the case, according to relatives and attorneys.
Sonia Mehboob, a distraught mother, recounted the harrowing night of July 1 in Lahore when her daughter’s life was shattered by Fahad Nasir and Muhammad Amjad. Despite the gravity of the crime, police were initially reluctant to file a case, delaying the registration of a First Information Report (FIR) by a day.
“We made several desperate trips to the police station, but were met with harsh and dismissive treatment,” Mehboob said. “Even after the FIR was finally registered, the police made no effort to arrest the accused, allowing them the chance to secure interim bail from the court.”
The nightmare began when Mehboob’s daughter, whose name is withheld for her protection, left home around 10 p.m. to buy groceries. On her way back, she was confronted by the two suspects who forced her to drink water laced with drugs. “She fell unconscious after consuming the drugged water and was then taken to a house where the horrific crime took place,” Mehboob said.
As the hours passed and their daughter did not return, Mehboob and her husband frantically began searching for her. “We saw Fahad standing in the street,” Mehboob recalled. “When we asked him about our daughter, he deceitfully claimed to have seen her heading towards a nearby park.”
Their hearts heavy with worry, they rushed to the park only to find no trace of their beloved child. Returning to their street, their anxiety and fear grew, knowing their daughter was somewhere out there, hurt and alone.
This tragic case underscores not only the vulnerability of the Christian minority in Pakistan but also the blatant injustice and neglect they face. A mother’s anguished cries for justice echo unanswered, and a young girl’s trauma is compounded by threats and intimidation. The call for justice grows louder, demanding that these heinous crimes do not go unpunished.
“Fahad wasn’t there,” Mehboob recalled. “After some time, we saw Amjad emerging from a house, followed by [my daughter], who was struggling to walk.” The sight of her daughter, barely able to stand, broke her heart. Amjad fled upon seeing them, leaving behind a scene of horror.
“She was drugged and could barely talk,” Mehboob continued, tears streaming down her face. “Her clothes were drenched in blood. We immediately called the police, who took her to the hospital for treatment and a medical examination.” The medical report confirmed their worst fears: she had been raped. “There were also torture and bite marks on her body,” she said.
Some officers did their duty, seizing evidence from the crime scene and recovering illegal weapons from the house. But Mehboob’s struggle for justice had only just begun. She applied to register a case against Nasir and Amjad, but the area police were reluctant to register the FIR that day. Despite her repeated pleas, the investigation officer refused to conduct DNA tests on the victim and the suspects.
“The accused are now threatening us to withdraw the case, warning us of dire consequences,” Mehboob said. On July 19, the nightmare deepened when the suspects filed a false assault case against her 16-year-old son, Zikaria, accusing him of attacking Nasir, even though the teenager could barely walk due to a leg injury. They also implicated Sadiq Masih, a Christian counselor helping the family seek justice.
Her daughter’s voice, weak but determined, added to the tragic tale. “My mind was numb and vision was blurry when I regained consciousness,” she said. “At first, I couldn’t figure out what had happened to me, but then I started to feel the pain. It was awful. There were some bite injuries on my body which also hurt a lot.”
The pain and trauma etched into the young girl’s words reveal a deep wound that may never fully heal. Mehboob’s fight for justice is not just for her daughter but for every girl who has suffered in silence. The family’s ordeal highlights the need for urgent reforms and the protection of vulnerable communities in Pakistan. The echoes of their cries for justice must be heard, demanding accountability and an end to such atrocities.
When she regained consciousness, the house was eerily empty. After some time, Amjad appeared and unlocked the main gate. Desperation filled her as she tried to run, but he overpowered her, beating her and biting her on the cheek as she struggled to break free. “I started screaming for help, and that’s when he finally let go of me and left the house,” she recounted. Stumbling outside, confused and terrified, she saw her parents, who immediately took her in their arms, offering what little comfort they could.
The assault has left her deeply scarred, both mentally and physically. “I’m still unable to sleep at night. The bitter memory of that night continues to haunt me to this day,” she said, tears streaming down her face.
In the face of this immense tragedy, there is a glimmer of hope. Shahid Altaf, a local Muslim and member of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), has stepped forward to support the Christian family. “Though I’m a Muslim, I’m seeking justice for her because she is the victim of a barbaric crime,” Altaf said. “The accused are notorious criminals with a history of sexually assaulting minor children. They act as informers for the police, which is why no action is being taken against them.”
With Altaf’s help, the family engaged Christian attorney Zunaira Yousaf on Saturday, July 27, to pursue the case. Determined to fight for justice, Yousaf said she would contest the suspects’ bail at the court hearing scheduled for Tuesday, July 30. “I’ve also applied with the senior superintendent of the police investigation branch to change the investigating officer of the case,” Yousaf stated. “The police are siding with the accused; nearly a month has passed, yet the police have not conducted DNA tests of the accused and the victim. Due to this, the accused have thrice managed to get their pre-arrest bails extended from the court.”
The case starkly illustrates the challenges Christians face in obtaining justice in Pakistan. In her police statement, the victim identified Fahad as the one who drugged her. “Moreover, the house where she was raped is under Fahad’s rental,” Yousaf emphasized. “These facts warrant Fahad’s immediate arrest, but the investigation officer has deliberately not opposed his pre-arrest bail.”
Despite the overwhelming odds, the family’s fight for justice continues. Their resilience and the support of allies like Altaf and Yousaf offer a beacon of hope in a landscape fraught with injustice. The call for accountability and protection for vulnerable communities grows louder, urging a system that too often turns a blind eye to stand up and deliver justice.