Article source: www.claas.org.uk
A devastating incident has sent shockwaves through Pakistan as the testimony of a young Christian woman from Sangla Hill reveals a horrifying story of gang rape, police intimidation, and systemic failure. Twenty-one-year-old Sheeza Bibi, a mother, was brutally gang raped inside her home in Chak 42 Model Sangla Hill on June 11, 2025. Her statement, supported by her husband Intikhab’s firsthand account, has now ignited nationwide calls for justice, legal accountability, and urgent protection for religious minority women in Pakistan.
According to the victim’s husband, Intikhab, who had been working as a labourer for one of the accused, Mohsin, the incident began when Mohsin falsely claimed that a police case had been registered against him. Using this pretext, Mohsin instructed Intikhab to leave the house for a few hours. While Intikhab was away, Mohsin and two accomplices — Zahid and Arsalan — forcibly entered the couple’s home and raped Sheeza in front of her 3-year-old daughter.
“When I returned home, my wife was crying and shaken. She told me what Mohsin and his friends had done. Later, Mohsin returned to our house, gave me 1,100 rupees, and told me to leave again as the police were coming back. It was clear then that this had all been a set-up,” said Intikhab in a video statement.
The couple immediately went to the Sangla Hill Saddar Police Station to register an FIR. Instead of receiving protection, they were subjected to further abuse. A clerk named Sikandar allegedly ordered a female constable to slap Sheeza and physically assaulted Intikhab. Their statement was forcibly dictated by police staff and thumbprints were taken under coercion. According to the family, they were also offered between 120,000 and 150,000 rupees to withdraw the case.
“None of what we said was written in the FIR,” said Intikhab. “Sikandar wrote everything himself and forced me to put my thumb on it as if it was my statement.”
The case was initially buried by authorities until a local television channel aired the victim’s real video testimony. The public outcry that followed led to increased scrutiny of the police’s role in shielding the suspects. After pressure from civil society and our partner organization, The Edge Foundation, which is providing legal assistance to the family, a court-ordered medical examination confirmed the assault.
On June 23, 2025, the court ordered the arrest of all three suspects. They are currently in police custody on physical remand.
Nasir Saeed, Director of CLAAS-UK, said, “This is not just a case of sexual violence. It is a case that exposes how the police and Pakistani society treat Christian women. It also reveals the depth of institutional rot — where victims are silenced, police act as predators, and justice is denied to the weak.”
Saeed added, “We demand accountability for both the perpetrators and the police officers who tried to cover up the crime.”
The case highlights a wider crisis. Pakistan’s Christian and Hindu women and girls face a rising tide of violence, often in the form of abduction, rape, forced conversion, and coerced marriage. In many such incidents, the victims are denied justice due to their minority status, poverty, and lack of legal support.
According to multiple advocacy organizations, over 1,000 minority girls face similar fates each year. Yet very few cases result in convictions due to police negligence, a biased judiciary, and threats from influential offenders.
In her heartbreaking testimony, Sheeza said, “When they raped me, my daughter was watching. One of them held her forcefully as she cried. We were helpless. I want them punished so no woman has to suffer like I did.”
Our partner Edge Foundation’s legal counsel has filed a formal complaint against the involved police officials and is pursuing additional legal action against those responsible for intimidation, evidence tampering, and obstruction of justice.
“We will not let this case fade,” Sahotra said. “The impunity must end.”
The case has sparked widespread outrage on social media and renewed debates over the protection of religious minorities and the urgent need for police reform in Pakistan.
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Date published: 05/07/2025
Feature image: Supplied
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