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A judicial magistrate in Lahore on Thursday extended the physical remand of three suspects for another four days in the case of the alleged kidnapping and rape of two foreign women, as reported by Dawn. The suspects were presented before the court by Defence C police on the expiry of their previous remand, and the police sought the extension to recover weapons allegedly used in the crime.

Coverage comparison

The case has been followed through several court hearings and police statements. Initially, police registered a case against five suspects on July 2 on charges of kidnapping for ransom and sexual assault of two foreign women, who are nationals of the Netherlands and Venezuela and had come to Pakistan to visit their friends. The police recovered the women and arrested four suspects, tracking them with the help of the Punjab Safe City Authority’s cameras, according to Lahore Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Operations Faisal Kamran. The suspects were first sent on a five-day physical remand on July 3, which was extended twice before a judicial magistrate granted 14-day judicial remand for four of them. However, a subsequent hearing saw the magistrate extend the physical remand of three suspects for another four days, indicating that the case continues to progress through the legal system.

Key claims

  • Two foreign women, one from the Netherlands and one from Venezuela, were kidnapped and sexually assaulted in Lahore. They were visiting Pakistan to see their friends.
  • The suspects demanded $1.5 million in ransom before sexually assaulting the women.
  • The police recovered the women and arrested four suspects, with the help of the Punjab Safe City Authority’s cameras.
  • A judicial magistrate granted police 14-day judicial remand of four suspects, and later extended the physical remand of three suspects for another four days.
  • The police booked five suspects over alleged abduction and sexual assault. The primary suspect claimed to be well-connected to influential government figures.
  • The victims were separated and held in different locations during their captivity.
According to the victim’s sworn statement, she and her Venezuelan friend arrived in Pakistan on June 26, 2026, at the invitation of a local business partner they had met in Singapore in October 2025. The primary suspect, who claimed connections to influential figures, arranged their visas under the guise of setting up meetings with investors. After spending time in Islamabad, the group traveled to Lahore, where the suspect lured the victims to an empty house on the pretext of a birthday celebration. Within minutes, armed men entered, tied the victims’ hands, and held them captive. The father of one of the women called the Police Emergency Helpline 15 from Spain to report the incident.