A 20-year-old woman from Azerbaijan was allegedly drugged and gang-raped by three men in an apartment in Lahore, according to a police complaint filed by the victim — the latest in a sharp rise in sexual violence cases in Pakistan's largest Punjab city, which recorded 1,180 sexual assault cases in the first eight months of this year, according to a report cited by British daily The Independent.

What the Victim Alleged

The victim, a resident of Baku, was reportedly in Pakistan on a business trip when the assault allegedly took place on a Saturday in the Defence Housing Authority area of Raiwind, Lahore. According to her complaint, two women invited her to dinner at a local restaurant, where they were later joined by three men.

She alleged the men offered to drop her and the two women home, but instead drove her to an unidentified flat. She said she was drugged, gang-raped, and subsequently abandoned near the Ghazi Interchange. The suspects allegedly took her mobile phone and other valuables before leaving. The victim stated she could identify the suspects by their faces.

A Pattern of Attacks on Foreign Women in the Same Area

This is not an isolated incident in the area. According to the same report, in July, two foreign women — one from the Netherlands and another from Venezuela — were allegedly abducted and raped in the same Defence Housing Authority locality. Police rescued them after approximately two hours and later arrested four men suspected of involvement.

Those women had reportedly travelled to Pakistan at the invitation of alleged prime suspect Muhammad Raza Dar. They alleged that Dar and his accomplices abducted them on 29 June, threatened and extorted them, and subjected them to sexual assault. Notably, the recurrence of attacks on foreign visitors in the same area raises serious questions about the effectiveness of local law enforcement.

Broader Crisis of Violence Against Women in Pakistan

The incidents form part of a wider, documented pattern of sexual violence across Pakistan. A recent report noted that rising assault cases expose both the dangers faced by women and what critics describe as a systemic failure of institutions meant to protect them. The crimes reportedly span perpetrators across educational and social backgrounds.

On 20 August, a 45-year-old woman was found dead at her residence in Rawalpindi with signs of torture. Her husband, Faisal Asghar Imam, described as a university medical professor, was arrested in connection with the domestic abuse case, according to a report in Australia-based outlet Pearls and Irritations.

Pakistani writer and researcher Anam Zahra wrote: 'With the recent rise in crimes, it is clearly visible how Pakistani women's lives are increasingly under siege. In Quetta, Dr Mahnoor Nasir was attacked with acid inside Sandeman Provincial Hospital after rejecting a man's advances, leaving her with severe burns and symbolising the lack of safety for professional women even in workplaces which are meant to be safe.'

Institutional Accountability Under Scrutiny

Lahore's tally of 1,180 sexual assault cases in eight months — averaging roughly 148 cases per month — points to a crisis that analysts say demands urgent legislative and enforcement responses. Critics argue that Pakistan's legal framework, while formally criminalising sexual violence, has struggled with conviction rates and victim support infrastructure.

The Azerbaijani woman's case, involving a foreign national on a business visit, is likely to draw diplomatic attention and could prompt Baku to issue travel advisories for Pakistan. Whether Pakistani authorities pursue the suspects swiftly will be closely watched both domestically and internationally.