Azerbaijani woman on business trip allegedly drugged, gang-raped in Lahore
A 20-year-old woman from Azerbaijan was allegedly gang-raped by three men at a flat in Lahore after she was taken there from a cafe in the Defence Housing Authority (DHA) area, police said, as per news agency PTI. The woman had travelled from Baku to Pakistan for business and had been staying in Lahore's Raiwind area. Police said she arrived in the country more than two weeks before the alleged assault.
The incident took place late on September 25 after two women took her to a cafe in DHA at around 11 pm (local time). Three men later joined them and allegedly offered to drop the women home. Instead, police said, the men took the Azerbaijani woman to a flat.WOMAN DRUGGED BEFORE ASSAULT
According to the police account, the woman was given a drink containing an intoxicating substance after she was taken to the flat. She was then allegedly sexually assaulted by the three men.
The First Information Report (FIR), cited by The Express Tribune, alleged that the assault continued throughout the night. The suspects later abandoned the woman near Lahore's Ghazi Interchange and fled.
Police said the suspects also took her iPhone. The Express Tribune reported that the complaint also mentioned another expensive mobile phone belonging to the woman. The woman subsequently underwent a medical examination. Police said the medical report could provide further information as the investigation progresses.
Police have registered a case against three unidentified men under relevant provisions of the Pakistan Penal Code. PTI reported that the main accused had been identified and that raids were being conducted to arrest those allegedly involved.
Police officer Anjum Bashir said officers recovered the vehicle allegedly used in the incident from the house of a relative of the main suspect.
The Express Tribune reported that three people were detained for questioning as investigators searched for the alleged perpetrators. The vehicle was taken to Defence C police station and is being examined as part of the investigation.
Lahore Investigation Deputy Inspector General Syed Zeeshan Raza formed special teams led by Cantt Investigation Superintendent of Police Asim Iftikhar to pursue the suspects. He said those responsible would face legal action and that all aspects of the case were being examined in accordance with the law.
The three male suspects have also been placed on a stop list to prevent them from leaving Pakistan, police said. Investigators are separately examining the role of the two women who allegedly took the victim to the cafe.POLICE PROBE PREVIOUS CASE INVOLVING FOREIGN WOMEN
The case has also drawn attention because of another sexual assault and abduction investigation registered in the same Defence C area in recent months.
According to The Express Tribune, police in July rescued two foreign women, one from the Netherlands and another from Venezuela, after receiving an emergency complaint. Four suspects were arrested in that case.
The women alleged that they had travelled to Pakistan after being invited by an acquaintance they had met in Singapore in October 2025. They alleged that they were later abducted, threatened and subjected to sexual assault and extortion.- EndsWith inputs from agencies
