Pakistani Journalists Offer Conflicting Views on Case Involving Foreign Women and Ishaq Dar’s Grandson

LAHORE:Senior Pakistani journalists have presented differing accounts regarding the high-profile case involving two foreign women and **Raza Dar**, the grandson of Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar.

Speaking on a television program, senior journalist Najam Sethi claimed that the foreign women had already left Pakistan, suggesting that the case was effectively over.

According to Sethi, once the principal complainants are no longer present in the country, the prosecution would struggle to proceed. He argued that the four individuals named in the First Information Report (FIR) could eventually be released due to the absence of witnesses to testify against them.

However, journalist Muneeb Farooq presented a different version of events in his video blog. He alleged that misinformation was circulating about the case and accused some commentators of spreading false claims for publicity.

Farooq said that Raza Dar, approximately 25 years old, had met two women—one from Venezuela and another from the Netherlands, both residing in Spain—during a business engagement in Spain about a year and a half ago. He claimed the dispute between them was related to a business matter and not to cryptocurrency or Bitcoin, contrary to some reports.

According to Farooq, the women were invited to Pakistan by Raza Dar and were taken on trips to Murree and the country’s northern areas before being brought to Lahore. He alleged that they were subsequently confined in a house located in the Defence area of the city.

Farooq further claimed that the Dutch woman’s father contacted Pakistan’s emergency helpline after losing contact with his daughter. Police reportedly traced the women’s location using digital tracking and recovered them from the house.

He said that Raza Dar and three other suspects were arrested, while the women recorded statements before a magistrate under Section 164 of the Criminal Procedure Code, alleging physical abuse. He added that forensic examination results regarding alleged sexual assault were expected separately.

Farooq also stated that the suspects remain under police custody on physical remand and that the women departed Pakistan after recording their statements. He further claimed that Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz instructed authorities to investigate the case strictly on merit and that no pressure was exerted on police by Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar or his family.

**Note:** The claims made by both journalists have not been independently verified, and authorities have not publicly confirmed several of the allegations discussed.