One of two suspects in Pakistan highway gang-rape case surrenders before police

One of the two suspects in the gang-rape of a woman in a desolate highway in central Punjab province surrendered before police on Sunday and denied any involvement in the case that has sparked countrywide outrage.

The police is yet to nab the prime suspect in the rape of the woman who was attacked and assaulted in front of her three children after her car broke down on the Lahore-Sialkot motorway near Gujjarpura area on Wednesday.

The woman in her complaint alleged that two robbers raped her at gunpoint in front of her children while she was waiting for help on the motorway after her car developed a fault.

The incident sparked widespread outrage and condemnation. A number of demonstrations ensued in Lahore, Karachi, Islamabad, Peshawar and other parts of the country against the incident demanding the Imran Khan government to give exemplary punishment to the culprits and ensure protection of women.

Suspect Waqarul Hasan on Sunday surrendered to the Crime Investigation Agency (CIA) and told that he was not involved in this heinous crime.

"A SIM whose data came in geo-fencing is used by my brother-in-law and he has links with prime suspect Abid Ali," Hasan told police.

His mother on TV also appealed to the prime minister to ensure justice in this case as her son was “innocent “ and he had surrendered before police after the government declared him as a suspect in this case.

Police have decided to conduct his DNA test.

Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar, ministers Basharat Raja, Fayyazul Hasan Chohan, special assistant to the PM Shahbaz Gill and Inspector General of Police Inam Ghani had he declared in a presser on Saturday that the government had had traced the "real culprits – Abid Ali (prime suspect) and Waqarul Hasan (his accomplice)" in the case.

They claimed that DNA of Abid Ali had been matched which was taken from the clothes of the victim.

Interestingly, the government had claimed that the suspects had been identified through “scientific evidence”. The opposition has demanded to arrest "real culprits" and make sure no innocent is nabbed to release the public pressure.

IGP Ghani had told the presser that the prime suspect had been identified as Abid Ali, 27, a resident of Fort Abbas of Bahawalnagar, some 400 kms from Lahore.

“Abid Ali’s DNA has been matched and police will soon arrest him and his accomplice Waqarul Hasan. Ali was also involved in a gang-rape of a woman and her daughter back in 2013 in his residential area,” he said.

Ali was caught but later released from jail after the affected family pardoned him under pressure. Police on Sunday also arrested father and two brothers of Ali.

The woman returned from France along with her children a few months ago where she lived with her husband.

The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf government has also been under immense public pressure to remove newly-appointed Lahore police chief Umer Shiekh for his uncalled "victim shaming".

Sheikh had said that the woman should not have travelled late night along with her children.

Hundreds of people gathered at Lahore’s Liberty Roundabout on Saturday evening to hold a demonstration, demanding safety and security for women.