LAHORE – Azerbaijani woman Diana Baghiyeva has finally left Pakistan for Baku under police escort. Her exit comes days after she reportedly refused to board a flight, saying she did not want to return home voluntarily, adding another twist to a case that has already raised serious questions over her alleged assault, arrests, marriage and her unexpected appearance inside Punjab Assembly.
According to police sources, three officers accompanied Diana on her journey to Azerbaijan after request from the Azerbaijani embassy. The team reportedly included a female ASP, DSP Qamar Abbas and another female police officer.
The development came days after a tense episode at Lahore airport, where Diana had initially boarded a flight but later refused to leave Pakistan. Airport sources said Diana told authorities that she did not want to return to Azerbaijan voluntarily and alleged that she was being sent home under false pretences. After refusing to travel, she was reportedly offloaded from the aircraft and taken to the international briefing hall under security supervision.
The case drawn attention after details from Diana’s statement recorded before a court on September 29 emerged. According to her statement, Diana arrived in Islamabad from Istanbul on September 13. She then spent five days in Faisalabad before travelling to Lahore, with plans to visit Skardu.
As she was travelling alone, Diana said she contacted acquaintances Nimra and Muskan and arranged to meet them in Lahore. According to the statement, she went alone to a café at around 11pm, where Muskan joined her. The two reportedly had a meal before a white car arrived at around 2am and took them to an apartment.
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Diana said two men subsequently arrived at the apartment, one of whom was identified as Ali Zain. According to her account, Nimra and Mohsin went into another room to talk, while Muskan also joined them.
Diana alleged that Nimra took between Rs20,000 and Rs30,000 from Mohsin, saying the money was for a party. She further alleged that Mohsin attempted to touch her and that she was subsequently locked inside a separate room. When Diana asked about Nimra and Muskan, she said she was told they had already left. She allegedly asked to leave as well, but was told she could not because her friend had taken money from them.
According to Diana’s statement, she offered men Rs30,000 in an attempt for her release. She alleged that Ali Zain threatened and blackmailed her. She further alleged that the men forced her to drink alcohol before Mohsin, Ahmed and Ali Zain sexually assaulted her.
Diana also alleged that the suspects took possession of her belongings. According to her statement, her bag contained approximately Rs2Lac and two mobile phones. She alleged that the men told her they would return the bag only if she agreed not to report the incident to police. The situation allegedly escalated when Ahmed and Ali Zain opened the car door and pushed her out.
The case took another unexpected turn when it emerged that Diana had previously married a Pakistani citizen. According to information that surfaced on September 30, Diana married a Pakistani man in Rawalpindi on February 12, 2025. A divorce document also reportedly emerged.
Sources said that after marriage, disagreements with her mother-in-law led Diana and her husband to move into a rented house in Faisalabad. Her marriage later ended, reportedly over her husband’s concerns about her friendship with a man identified as Shabbir Ahmed, also known as Naqqash.
Diana subsequently began living with Shabbir, who later brought her to Lahore and introduced her to his friend Touheed Butt. The pair reportedly also spent some time in Abbottabad before returning to Lahore. Police have detained Shabbir Ahmed as part of the ongoing investigation.
The police investigation has so far resulted in several arrests and detentions. Muskan, Mohsin and Ali Zain have been arrested in connection with the case, while Shabbir Ahmed has also been taken into custody for questioning. Police sources said more than 20 other individuals have been detained as investigators attempt to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident.
However, the alleged central suspect, Ahmed Tanveer, has not yet been arrested. A case relating to the alleged gang rape has been registered at Defence C Police Station in Lahore.
Amid the investigation, pictures and videos showing Diana inside the Punjab Assembly went viral. The pictures reportedly showed her posing in the assembly hall, on staircases and in other areas of the building. The revelation raised questions over how a foreign national involved in such a high-profile case gained access to a sensitive government building.
