Afghan Loya Jirga member wanted for rape of Peshawar dancer

PESHAWAR: City police are hunting a man accused of raping an 18-year-old dancer after inviting her to perform at his residence in Peshawar. The man is believed to be a member of the Afghan Loya Jirga.

A Loya Jirga is a special type of assembly that is usually organised in Afghanistan, mainly for choosing a new head of state. The Afghan constitution of 2003 gives the consultative body, made up of both houses of parliament and elected heads of regional administrations, the power to amend the constitution, impeach the president and decide matters of national sovereignty. A First Information Report (FIR) was registered at Hayatabad Police Station on the victim's complaint.

The victim said in the FIR that she is a dancer by profession and a resident of Peshawar's Tehkal area. She claimed that an Afghan national invited her to dance at an event at his residence. When she reached his house, where a "party-like" function was taking place, the accused forcibly took her to a room and subjected her to rape, said Hayatabad Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Hassan Afzal.

Police raided the residence of the accused in Hayatababad area, who had already fled, Afzal said. The police took into custody a driver and a cook from his house.

During the raid, police recovered a passport and other documents which revealed that the accused is an Afghan national and a member of the Afghan Loya Jirga, said the ASP.

The police collected evidence from his house to be used in the probe. Results of the medical examination of the victim are awaited, he said.