F-9 park rape took place in unlit area: IG Islamabad

Inspector-General of Islamabad Police Akbar Nasir Khan said the tragic F-9 park rape took place at an unlit portion of the park on February 2.

The police have not yet made any arrests in connection with the incident and will only do so once they have obtained solid evidence, Khan told the Senate Standing Committee on Human Rights chaired by Senator Waleed Iqbal on Monday. However, he said that there were two suspicious persons and both were armed.

To allay concerns about security in the park, the IG emphasised that tightening the security checks at the park's entrance would only serve to cause fear among the public. Instead, the police have increased their presence in the park, he said, adding that other security arrangements have been enhanced.

The Islamabad IG said that the rape took place in a poorly-lit jungle area of ​​the park. According to the police official, the police are making use of cameras from Safe City and other sources, and at least a hundred cameras are being installed in the park.

Capital Development Authority (CDA) Chairman Noorul Amin Mengal, who also attended the meeting, told the committee that the F-9pPark spanned over 750 acres, 500 acres of which are covered by jungle. To improve security in the park, the CDA chief said that patrolling has been increased in the recreational park. An amount of Rs100 million -- an estimated cost for installation of solar panels in the parks of Islamabad has been released.

F9 park rape

The rape case came to the media light on February 4 when two armed men allegedly raped a woman in Islamabad's F-9 area at gunpoint.

The gang-rape left the nation in a state of shock. The victim was at the park with her male colleague, according to the first information report (FIR).

The gun-toting aggressors took the two to a nearby thicket at gunpoint and separated them, according to the FIR. The attackers beat the young woman up when she pleaded with them to let her go and even offered them money in exchange for her safety, the FIR reads.

When the woman tried to raise her voice, she was beaten and threatened by the attackers who said they would call their "friends" to join them. Her attempts to run away were also foiled by the attackers, the FIR stated.