‘Accomplice’ arrested, key gang-rape suspect still at large

LAHORE: An accomplice of the prime suspect in the motorway gang-rape case has confessed to the sexual assault, police sources told Geo News on Monday, but key suspect Abid Ali is still at large.

The sources said Shafqat Ali, with whom key suspect Abid allegedly used to commit crimes, confessed to gang-raping a woman when her car ran out of fuel on the Lahore-Sialkot motorway on September 9, even before his DNA test was carried out. An official DNA test of Shafqat, a resident of Bahawalnagar who was arrested from Dipalpur, would be conducted soon, the sources said, adding the sample taken from him had already matched the one obtained from the rape survivor. No official conclusive DNA report had been issued as yet, the sources clarified.

Minutes after news broke about Shafqat’s arrest, Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar said the suspect’s DNA had matched with the sample obtained from the rape survivor and that he had confessed to the crime.

“Our entire team is constantly trying to arrest main accused Abid Ali, whose arrest is expected soon, God willing,” Buzdar said on Twitter.Shafqat is the second suspected rapist apart from Abid, the sources said, adding Waqarul Hassan Shah and Abbas were not suspects anymore. They said Shafqat was a habitual offender and had been involved in crimes in the

past as well.

They said Waqar claimed that Abid had links with Shafqat and his brother-in-law Abbas. Shafqat was then arrested from Dipalpur after being traced through his phone SIM card. The DNA samples obtained from Shafqat were sent to the laboratory for testing.

Meanwhile, Lahore police chief Umar Sheikh on Monday apologised over his controversial statement regarding the motorway rape incident. Talking to the media, the Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) apologised to the victim and all other people who felt hurt by his remarks and said he had no intention to give any wrong impression regarding the incident. “I apologise, if my statement has hurt or offended anyone”, he said, adding: “I apologise to my sister who was subjected to gang-rape, as well as my sisters, brothers and all strata of society”.

The CCPO had earlier remarked the rape victim should have been more careful and taken a safer route.