PESHAWAR, Oct 14: A US national has ‘declined’ to pursue a criminal case against a guard of a private security agency charged with attempting to rape her. Rebecca Gang, a volunteer with the International Rescue Committee, is a complainant in an FIR registered at the University Town police station on Dec 18, 2005, wherein she had charged Hussain Ghulam of outraging her modesty, attempting to rape her and injuring her. Despite court notices, she and prosecution witnesses did not turn up in the trial court.

During some previous hearings, the court had issued non-bailable arrest warrants for Ms Gang and the prosecution witnesses, but the warrants could not be executed as the woman was not in Pakistan. It is learnt that during a hearing on Oct 12, police produced a statement by the woman in which she said the matter was no longer of her concern and that the case was now finished for her. The accused, presently on bail, has now prayed the court to acquit him. The accused stated that a compromise had taken place between him and the complainant and that she had forgiven him. The court has fixed Oct 30 for hearing.
Source: Dawn
Date:10/15/2006