Karachi college student abducted, gang-raped: police

• Police say a first-year college student was "abducted and later gang-raped" in Karachi
• Victim's father says his daughter went missing on February 9 and was later found by DHA police
• Police say the main accused, along with three accomplices, have been arrested and a probe is underway 

KARACHI: A first-year college student was "abducted and later gang-raped" in Karachi, police said on Friday, adding that the main suspect along with three accomplices have been arrested.

According to the first information report (FIR) filed with Malir Police, the victim is a resident of the Gulshan-e-Hadeed area and the complaint was filed by her father. 

The victim's father told the police that his daughter had left her house to go to college on February 9, 2021. But when she did not return home by 1pm, her family got worried and started searching for her.

"Yesterday, I received a call from a Defence Housing Authority (DHA) police station that my daughter had been found in DHA," the victim's father said, according to police.

Police said the girl was immediately rushed to the hospital where she later narrated the incident, saying that "three men abducted her and later gang-raped her".

Superintendent of Police (SSP) Malir Irfan Bahadur and SSP Investigation Malir Imran Qureshi visited the residence of the victim and assured the family that justice would be served. 

Police arrest main suspect, three accomplices

Malir Police told Geo News that the main suspect, along with three of his accomplices, have been arrested in connection with the incident and an investigation is underway. 

Police added that the arrested suspects are being interrogated, adding that a medico-legal examination of the suspects is also being carried out.

"Further action will be taken once the forensics report is obtained," police said.

Read more: Bahawalpur gang-rape: Police say sister-in-law among three suspects arrested

Rape cases and convictions in Pakistan

According to a 2020 report, at least 11 rape incidents are reported in Pakistan every day, with over 22,000 cases filed across the country in the last six years. However, only 77 — or 0.03% — of the accused have been convicted.

A total of 22,037 cases of sexual abuse have been registered since 2015, of which 4,060 cases are pending in the courts. Unfortunately, only 18% have reached the prosecution stage.

Read more: Five arrested over charges of rape, murder of seven-year-old Khairpur girl: police