Cleric Booked for Alleged Rape of Female Student in Khanewal

News Desk

Khanewal: A formal criminal complaint has been registered against a cleric in Kabirwala, District Khanewal, following allegations of sexual assault involving a female student at a local seminary.

The First Information Report (FIR No. 706/25) was filed at Police Station Sadar Kabirwala under Section 376 of the Pakistan Penal Code (rape), based on a written complaint submitted by Muhammad Hussain, the victim’s uncle.

The alleged victim, Bibi*, was a student at Madrasa Rehmania in Moza Karam Pur Jajja. According to the FIR, she went missing on June 24, 2025, after failing to return home. Concerned about her whereabouts, her family—accompanied by two witnesses, Zamurd Hussain and Muhammad Rashid—visited the nearby mosque where the suspected cleric, Qari Muti-ur-Rehman, resided.

Upon arrival, they reportedly heard cries coming from a room adjacent to the mosque. When they entered, they allegedly saw Qari Muti-ur-Rehman fleeing the scene holding his trousers. Inside the room, Bibi was found visibly distressed and partially undressed.

In her statement to her uncle, she alleged that the cleric had raped her—and that this was not the first instance of abuse. “I stayed silent because I was scared and ashamed,” she reportedly said. “But today, he took me into his private room again and raped me.”

She further claimed that the cleric had threatened her with violence if she ever spoke out about the assaults.

The case was registered as a cognizable offence under Section 154 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC). Police launched an investigation, and the FIR along with relevant documents was forwarded to CI Abid Ali (CI/853) for further action. 

The case is being supervised by SHO Zulfiqar Ali and SI Incharge SSUOIU at Kabirwala Police Station.

The alleged incident occurred near Dedar Dargah 20/31, approximately seven miles west of the police station.

According to police, the victim’s father is speech and hearing impaired and was unable to assist during or after the incident.

The case has sparked public outrage, with local residents and rights advocates demanding swift justice and greater regulation of religious seminaries. 

Legal experts and activists have emphasized the urgent need for oversight of madrasas and stronger protections for female students to prevent abuse and ensure accountability.