A 35-year-old unemployed man, Arsalan, has been arrested by police in Mirpur district of Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (POJK) for allegedly trying to rape his seven-year-old stepdaughter.

Islamabad: A 35-year-old unemployed man has been arrested for raping his seven-year-old stepdaughter in Mirpur district of Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (POJK), reported Dawn. According to Dadyal Station House Officer (SHO) Rashid Habib Masudi, the incident took place on July 15 in Sihalia village.
The suspect tried to attack the minor girl while her mother was away from home. According to Dawn, the police swung into action after receiving information about the incident, which led to Arsalan's arrest.
After coming home, the girl's mother learned about the incident from her daughter. However, the mother did not immediately file a complaint with the police due to threats from the suspect, who warned her of dire consequences including divorce, SHO Masudi said.
He added that the situation escalated when the suspect continued his violent and abusive behavior and last Wednesday the mother confronted him and revealed her intention to report his actions to the authorities.
Fearing arrest, the suspect went into hiding and could not be traced despite several raids at various locations.
However, acting on a tip-off, the police finally managed to nab him in suburban Dadyal on Sunday, the SHO said.
The police officer said the suspect is a person of criminal propensity and has been charged under Section 377-A (iii) of the Azad Penal Code (APC), which states: “Whoever attempts to commit an offense under sub-section (1) . shall be punished with imprisonment which may extend to ten years but not less than five years or with fine which may extend to two million rupees but not less than one million or both.
Further investigation into the case revealed a troubling pattern of suspect Arslan's behavior. According to the First Information Report (FIR), the suspect has a history of violent behaviour, regularly assaulting his wife and sexually abusing her daughters.
The complainant alleged that Arsalan had earlier tried to sexually assault her nine-year-old elder daughter.
The chief officer, Masudi, pointed out that the alleged man was convicted under the same section of the APC in October last year for attempting to sexually abuse his elder stepdaughter, showing a pattern of continued abuse. While there is no provision for legal reconciliation in such cases, the SHO noted that he was released on bail as his partner decided to reconcile during court proceedings.