LAHORE: Lahore police have arrested four suspects in separate cases relating to crimes against women and children, responding to complaints registered at police stations across the city.
According to a spokesperson for the DIG Operations, a suspect named Jan Gul was arrested in a rape case registered at Factory Area police station. Nishtar Colony police arrested a suspect named Gulfam in a sodomy case.
A suspect named Arif was arrested in a Race Course case involving an attempt to rape a girl. Separately, Shera Kot police arrested a suspect named Yaqoob for indecent acts with a minor girl.
In accordance with The Lahore Times editorial policy on the privacy of victims of violent crime, no identifying details of the complainants or victims in these cases are being published.
The spokesperson for the DIG Operations said Kahna and Manawan police were conducting raids for the arrest of suspects wanted in registered cases. The arrested suspects have been handed over to the investigation wing for further legal proceedings.
According to the spokesperson for the Operations Wing, Lahore police are acting on a zero-tolerance policy on crimes against women and children.
Arrest is the most visible stage of these cases and the least determinative of their outcome. Conviction rates in sexual offence prosecutions in Pakistan have historically been low, and the reasons are structural rather than incidental.
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Medico-legal examination must be conducted promptly and by a trained examiner for physical evidence to hold up at trial. Delays between the offence, the report and the examination degrade that evidence irreversibly. Where forensic capacity is limited, cases rest disproportionately on witness testimony.
The Anti-Rape (Investigation and Trial) Act 2021 was enacted to address parts of this problem, providing for special courts, time-bound trials, protection for victims and witnesses during proceedings, and the establishment of anti-rape crisis cells to coordinate medical examination and evidence collection from the point of first report.
The second recurring obstacle is pressure on complainants to compromise. In cases where the accused is known to the family or is a neighbour, sustained social and financial pressure frequently results in the complainant resiling from their statement during trial. Sexual offences are not compoundable, but a hostile prosecution witness produces the same practical result as a withdrawal.
Punjab has established a network of dedicated women’s protection facilities and helplines intended to support complainants through the process. The Punjab Women Protection Authority operates helpline 1043, and Rescue 1122 handles emergency medical response.
Lahore police have not disclosed the stage of investigation in any of the four cases.
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