Karachi police arrest man suspected of sexual assaulting foreign national

Darakhshan police in Karachi have arrested a man following the alleged sexual assault of a foreign national residing in Defence Housing Authority (DHA), South Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Syed Asad Raza confirmed.

The arrest took place a day after the police registered a FIR [First Information Report] on the complaint of the victim. DIG Raza stated that the 49-year-old woman works as a medical assistant in cardiology in the United States (US). She arrived in Pakistan on November 13, 2025, and has been residing in DHA Phase VI.

While the DIG stated she arrived in November, the FIR details note that she is a permanent resident of the US and has been living in DHA since April.

Police Surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed stated that the Darakhshan police brought the woman for a medical examination on Friday after the incident was reported. According to Dr Syed, samples have been collected for serology and DNA testing.

The case was registered on Friday under Section 376 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC), which pertains to the punishment for rape. Police officials stated that further investigations into the matter are going on.

According to the FIR, the incident occurred at approximately 4:00 AM on July 17. The complainant stated that a man, whose identity she learned later, “was taking me home and I agreed he could have a drink with me.”

The complainant stated that she later woke up in her bed during the assault, adding that she resisted the assailant, shouted and struck him, causing the suspect to flee the apartment.

The complainant attempted to pursue him, but the suspect escaped on a motorcycle. The FIR states, “I fell to the ground screaming in grief at the top of my lungs.”

A woman and her two daughters subsequently assisted the complainant, provided her with a shirt and helped her return to her apartment. The FIR stated that the suspect later returned to the residence without knocking to retrieve his mobile phone. The complainant confronted him again by screaming and striking him before he fled a second time.

The complainant attempted another pursuit but collapsed on the street, noting in the FIR that she was “screaming in distress and trauma.” A bystander subsequently contacted the police, after which she was transported to the police station.