Police in northwestern Pakistan said Friday that five Afghan men had been arrested after a 21-year-old woman from Afghanistan reported being gang-raped in Haripur, a district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province.
The victim, whose husband lives abroad, was attacked on Sept. 11 while on her way to visit relatives in Camp 16, according to local police accounts reported in Pakistani media.
Investigators said a man identified as Bacha allegedly forced her into a maize field, where four others joined him in the assault.
Police said the woman resisted and sustained facial injuries before later identifying the suspects, named as Nadi, Rozi, Khan Sher, Javid and Nasir. All were described as Afghan nationals living in the area.
A trauma center in Haripur confirmed evidence of sexual assault, and a full forensic medical report is pending, police said.
The case has been registered under Pakistan’s penal code, and the suspects have been presented before a local court for interrogation.
Rights activists in Pakistan say Afghan refugees — especially women — face heightened risks of exploitation and abuse amid a surge in deportations and rising hostility toward migrant communities.
