LAHORE:Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz ordered merit-based action in the foreign women kidnapping case, Lahore DIG Operations Faisal Kamran said Sunday.
Kamran told a press conference that the chief minister directed authorities to punish whoever committed the crime, according to the police briefing.
The case involves two foreign nationals, one Spanish and one Dutch, who reached Lahore, Punjab, on June 29 and were allegedly kidnapped soon after.
A first information report was registered at the Defence C Police Station against five suspects, including Muhammad Raza Dar, identified in the source report as the grandson of a high-profile political figure.
Police said the case included allegations of kidnapping, extortion and sexual assault. Five suspects, including Dar, are on physical remand.
Kamran said the first ransom call was received on July 1 from a man identified as Carlos, who told police that Spanish authorities had also been informed.
DIG Operations said police traced the vehicle using Safe City cameras and tracked its movement along the motorway to Sargodha.
He said police arrested four suspects on July 2 after examining phone numbers, vehicle records and location data.
Police later rescued the women after an altercation near Bhatta Chowk, where the vehicle crashed, and the women took shelter in a filter house, according to the briefing.
Kamran rejected reports that the women had appeared on their own. He said their statement confirmed that the Punjab Police rescued them.
Read: Lahore Foreign Women Assault: Medical Report Confirms Case
The DIG said police recorded the women’s statements before a magistrate, completed medical examinations and allowed them to leave Pakistan after the legal process.
