The suspects were produced before the magistrate at the Cantonment Courts following the expiry of the five-day physical remand granted earlier.

During the hearing, the prosecution sought an extension of the remand, informing the court that the suspects’ DNA and fingerprint tests had been conducted.

A prosecutor told the court that the police still needed to recover the vehicle allegedly used in the crime, along with a laptop, cash and weapons believed to be linked to the case.

Advocate Salman Shahid, the counsel for two of the suspects, opposed the request for further physical remand, arguing that his clients had no connection with the alleged offences.

The counsel stated that, according to the police’s own version, the matter was not one of rape or abduction but was related to a cryptocurrency dispute.

He said the matter fell within the jurisdiction of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).

The lawyer further argued that one of his clients worked as a security guard and had no connection with cryptocurrency. At the same time, the other was employed in Islamabad and also had no role in the matter.

He alleged that the suspects had been implicated due to media coverage of the case. He claimed that his clients were being subjected to a “media trial.”

The counsel also questioned the status of another suspect, identified as “Boss”, asking whether he had been produced before any court despite his arrest.

He argued that even if the suspects were eventually acquitted, the damage caused to their reputations by extensive media coverage would be irreversible.

After hearing arguments from both sides, the magistrate extended the physical remand of all four suspects for five more days till July 13.

Last week, the police had booked five suspects over alleged abduction and sexual assault after two foreign women were rescued. Four of the suspects, including a close relative of a senior political personality, were arrested and later sent on a five-day physical remand.

On Sunday, police officials investigating the case told Dawn that all eight suspects nominated over the alleged abduction and sexual assault of the two women, including two high-profile individuals, had been arrested.

On Monday, the remaining three suspects were sent on a five-day physical remand. Meanwhile, the two foreign nationals departed Pakistan on July 3 following their recovery.

The two ministers met at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.

During the meeting, the ministers stressed to further cooperation in border management, curbing illegal immigration and combating drugs, while they also determined joint measures to stop assistance and funding for terrorism.

The meeting also discussed views on protection of Chinese in Pakistan, ease of visa and promotion of public relations.

Meanwhile, Naqvi held a separate meeting with Sri Lankan Minister of Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs Ananda Wijepala at the UN Headquarters in New York. They agreed to strengthen coordination in combatting narcotics and enhance cooperation in police training, state-run Radio Pakistan reported.

According to the report, they agreed to increase collaboration to curb illegal immigration and prevent travel on forged passports.

The two ministers discussed a probable memorandum of understanding (MoU) aimed at strengthening cooperation to combat criminal networks and money laundering, the report stated.

They also agreed to establish a joint working group to further strengthen cooperation between the interior ministries of Pakistan and Sri Lanka, it added.

Naqvi and his Sri Lankan counterpart agreed to resolve visa-related issues on a priority basis.

The interior minister is currently in New York to represent Pakistan at the Fifth United Nations Chiefs of Police Summit 2026 (UNCOPS) being held at the UN headquarters on July 7 and 8. The summit has brought together interior ministers, police chiefs and senior law enforcement officials from across the world to discuss peace, security and enhanced cooperation against transnational crime.

The key focus of this year’s summit is developing a new vision for United Nations policing to ensure that peace operations remain agile, effective and people-centred.

During his visit, Naqvi is expected to meet senior US officials in Washington early next week, as Pakistan continues efforts to facilitate US-Iran talks, diplomatic sources told Dawn.

A meeting between Naqvi and New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani is also expected, according to the sources.

The KSE-100 index dropped by 2,939.51 points, or 1.58 per cent, to stand at 183,316.04 points at 1:34pm from the previous close of 186,255.55.

On Tuesday, PSX snapped a five-day bullish streak, falling by over 1,100 points to settle below the 187,000-point mark as investors resorted to profit-taking following the market’s recent record-breaking rally.

The reversal came after economic optimism — driven by falling energy prices and a likely cut in the interest rate — propelled the KSE-100 index above 187,000 points on Monday, leading analysts to believe it might surpass its all-time high of 189,167 in January.

According to Topline Securities Ltd, yesterday’s decline was driven by selling pressure emerging across key sectors during the latter half of the session.

It noted that investor sentiment remained cautious amid weakness in regional equity markets, prompting participants to lock in recent gains after the KSE-100’s strong upward run over the past several sessions.

A K2 Airways Boeing 737-400 cargo aircraft disappeared from radar over the Arabian Sea, about 300 kilometres west of Karachi, late on Tuesday night.

K2 Airways is a private airline based in Karachi. The carrier was established in May 2018 after being granted an airline charter licence by the government.

According to reports, the aircraft lost contact while approaching Pakistani airspace. The pilot had reported a navigation problem during the flight and requested assistance from the area control centre.

On Wednesday, state-run Radio Pakistan reported that the premier had instructed the CAA, the navy and the PAF to utilise all available resources in the search operation, as he extended his heartfelt sympathies to the families of the five crew members on board the aircraft.

The Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) said on Tuesday night that the plane reported a navigational system issue at 9:18pm and was promptly guided by the Karachi Area Control Centre.

However, at 9:21pm, the aircraft was observed on radar “rapidly descending” and making a sharp change in heading.

Subsequently, “radar contact and communication were lost” approximately 287 kilometres west of Karachi, PAA said.

According to FlightRadar, the aircraft, registered as AP-BOI, is a Boeing 737-4M0(BDSF) that entered service with K2 Airways in 2024.

It was originally delivered to Aeroflot as a passenger aircraft in 1999 before joining Garuda Indonesia in 2004. The aircraft was converted into a freighter in 2012 and later operated by TNT Airways and ASL Airlines.