A gang rape victim in Pakistan mentions the names of relatives of Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar
The investigation into the alleged kidnapping and gang rape of two foreign women in Pakistan has taken a new turn, with investigators examining a possible cryptocurrency dispute as part of the case involving a relative of Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar.This development comes after one of the victims, Astrid Gabriela Robinson Bracho, recorded her statement before the examining magistrate under Article 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), alleging that the main accused, Reza Dar, received US$100,000 in exchange for her release.According to the statement obtained by ARY News, Astrid told the judge that armed men stormed the house where she and her friend Stephanie Adriana were staying after they arrived in Lahore.She claimed that the attackers tied them up and held them in a room while Reza Dar repeatedly demanded access to a computer and cryptocurrency funds.“They asked where the computer with the money was, so I told them it was in the green bag,” she said, adding that Reza Dar continued to demand money and passwords.Astrid also claimed that one of the armed men hit her on the head, while another threatened to kill the two women if they did not hand over the money.
She said in her statement: “He told me if we give them money we will live. If we don’t, they will kill us.”The complainant also alleged that she was taken to a bedroom on the second floor, where three men entered the room. She claimed that two of them sexually assaulted her while another suspect guarded her with a gun.“They were laughing, slapped me and asked me to be quiet when I started crying,” she claimed before the judge.According to her statement, Dar allegedly used her mobile phone to send messages to her contacts to get money. She said no one responded at first, but Stephanie’s mother later told them she had arranged the $100,000 payment.Astrid claimed that on the last day of their captivity, Dar told them he had received the money and they were free to leave. She claimed that he returned their passports and took them towards the airport.She claimed during the trip, Dar was speaking to someone on the phone when the person on the other end said: “The president’s instructions are different.”She also stated that after the car was involved in an accident, she and Stephanie jumped out and screamed for help and were eventually rescued after members of the public alerted a traffic police officer.
The encryption dispute is under investigation
Investigators are also investigating whether the case stems from a dispute over cryptocurrency.According to sources familiar with the investigation, Raza Dar and the two women were involved in cryptocurrency-related financial transactions worth about US$1.5 million (about Rs 450 million).Police are investigating allegations that Dar lured the women to Pakistan under false pretenses before orchestrating the kidnapping. Investigators also allege that he included himself in the alleged kidnapping to make the incident appear real.The authorities confirmed that the investigation is continuing and that no final results have been reached. The cryptocurrency dispute and alleged kidnapping plot remain part of the ongoing investigation.
Four defendants were transferred to police custody
Earlier, a Lahore court handed over four suspects: Raza Dar, Hassan Raza, Iskandar Khan and Sajid Ali to police on remand for five days.Police told the court that the weapons and alleged proceeds of crime have not yet been recovered and requested detention for further investigation.The court approved the request, ordered investigations to be conducted, and a report to be submitted. The defendants are scheduled to appear in court again on July 8.
The victims may have left Pakistan
Meanwhile, ARY News, citing judicial sources, reported that the two foreign women may have already left Pakistan after recording their statements.Journalist Abid Khan said that the current whereabouts of the women are still unknown and that the authorities have kept all details about them secret.He pointed out that if the victims had already left the country, their absence could weaken the prosecution’s case.The victims’ statements were reportedly sealed and remain in the custody of the judge, with one copy provided to the police.
What is the situation?
The case came to light after Pakistani police arrested four men, including Reza Dar, a relative of Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, for the kidnapping and gang rape of two foreign women from the Netherlands and Venezuela in Lahore.According to police, the two women met Raza Dar in Singapore in October 2025 while working on a cryptocurrency project. Dar later invited them to Pakistan and arranged work visas to visit them.The women alleged that they were kidnapped shortly after arriving in Lahore on June 29, taken to a house, sexually assaulted and held for ransom. Police said the investigation is continuing.