Pakistan

Police have not confirmed Dua Zehra’s recovery yet, says missing girl’s father

Published

1 year ago

Farwa

“There is no truth to reports of Dua’s recovery,” Lahore’s DIG operations says.
CM Sindh says whereabouts of the girl traced, terms matter “sensitive”.
Dua’s father insists daughter’s age is 14, not 18; girl went missing 10 days back.

KARACHI/LAHORE: The father of Dua Zehra — the girl who had gone missing from Karachi’s Al Falah area a week back — said Monday that the police have not yet confirmed whether she had been recovered or not.

“Additional Inspector-General (Ghulam Nabi Memon) did not confirm whether the police found Dua or not,” the missing 14-year-old girl’s father told Geo News.

Giving details of his telephonic contact with the police officer, he told Geo News that Additional IG Ghulam Nabi Memon asked him if the news airing on TV about Dua Zehra was authentic.

Kazmi said that he told the police officer that he did not know about her recovery and asked him to verify it as he was an official related to the government.

“A nikkah nama attributed to my daughter is circulating on the social media wherein her age is written as 18 years,” he said, insisting that his daughter is below 14.

Responding to a question, Kazmi said he did not recognise any of the names written in the nikah nama. “These all names are new for me,” he added.

Before her father’s confirmation, sources told Geo News that Lahore police informed their Karachi counterpart of Dua’s recovery, while the police of both the metropolia are in touch over the matter.

Karachi also police said that Dua tied the nuptial knot with a boy — who is a resident of Lahore. The marriage certificate of the teenager has been obtained by the police and is being verified.

But commenting on the reports of her recovery, Deputy Inspector-General (DIG) Operations Dr Abid Khan said Lahore police have shared the girl’s nikkah nama with their Karachi counterpart and are using the document to trace her.

“There is no truth to the reports of Dua’s recovery […] the real facts behind this matter can only be verified once the girl is in our custody,” the police official told journalists.

Dr Khan added that Lahore and Karachi police are in contact with each other, and assured the public that the police would find her soon.

Whereabouts traced: CM Sindh

In a press conference, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah also said the whereabouts of the missing teen had been traced but did not provide further details as the matter was “sensitive”.

Following reports of her being traced, Sindh Women Development Minister Syeda Shehla Raza reached the girl’s house and told journalists that the AIG has not confirmed whether the girl has been recovered yet.

“Sindh police will make an official statement once the girl’s video statement is released […] IG has made it clear that the video statement is necessary for further probe,” Raza said.

The minister noted that despite reports claiming that the girl went to Lahore out of her own free will, she was a minor and cannot do so under the law.

“When the girl will record her statement in the court then the judiciary would ask her to reconsider the marriage till she turns 18. Once she is recovered [and after the necessary judicial matters are done] she will stay at the child protection bureau till she is 18 years old,” Raza said.

Raza added she saw the girl’s Child Registration Certificate (CRC) — also known as B-form — and in line with that, her marriage — if solemnised — would stand invalid as she is under 18.

Police teams formed; FIA joins in

To ensure the girl’s recovery, three separate police teams were formed to trace her last week, while the Federal Investigation Agency’s cybercrime cell also joined the probe.

A four-member FIA team visited Dua’s home on Friday and had said that the agency had taken the initiative of joining the case itself.

“No one approached us because it’s a police chase, but it’s our own decision to help the family and the police investigators for the early and safe recovery of the girl,” said cybercrime cell chief Imran Riaz.

On Thursday, Dua’s mother had said that if her daughter was not recovered, she and her family would commit suicide in front of the Governor House.

The case

The case of the mysterious disappearance of the teenage girl from Karachi’s Al-Falah shook everyone. She went missing from the Golden Town area 10 days ago, triggering a sense of fear among the masses.

Police conducted multiple raids but failed to recover the girl. The police had claimed that she might have left the house of her own choice but the family had rejected it.

Pakistan

KU students end protest after ‘picked up’ student returns

Published

2 days ago

Farwa

KARACHI: Students of Karachi University called off their protest after a fellow student who was allegedly “picked up” from the varsity’s premises returned.

A KU student confirmed to Geo News that Saqib, the student who was allegedly “whisked away”, has returned.

The students of the varsity had launched a protest, earlier today, after Saqib was allegedly “taken away”.

The protesters told Geo News that the student, studying at the Department of Urdu, was allegedly whisked away by some people in plain clothes. They said the men claimed they were from a law enforcement agency.

However, KU Security Adviser Dr Moiz Khan said Rangers have disassociated themselves from the incident.

The university’s administration analysed the closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage to identify the students and the people who picked him up.

After the incident, the students staged a protest outside KU’s Silver Jubilee Gate and blocked the University Road.

However, upon the police’s request, they shifted their protest to the front of the varsity’s administration block.

The Islami Jamiat-e-Talaba (IJT) claimed that the student was its worker.

Pakistan

Jibran Nasir’s ‘kidnapping’ case registered hours after he was ‘picked up’ in Karachi’s DHA

Published

2 days ago

Farwa

Cases registered under sections 365 and 34 of PPC.
Nasir’s wife seeks immediate release of her husband.
Protest today at 4:00pm at KPC to demand Nasir’s release.

KARACHI: The port city’s police have registered a “kidnapping” case of prominent lawyer and human rights activist Jibran Nasir on the complaint of his wife, Mansha Pasha, hours after the advocate was “picked up” from Defence Housing Authority (DHA) area.

The case has been registered at the Clifton Police Station under two sections of the Pakistan Penal Code — 365 (kidnapping or abducting with intent secretly and wrongfully to confine a person) and 34 (Acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention).

Pasha, a renowned actress, told police in an application earlier that her husband was “picked up” by men on Thursday night.

Mansha Pashas application to the police. — provided by the reporter — Mansha Pasha’s application to the police. — provided by the reporter

Police were at first, according to Pasha, not registering the FIR. She said she would move the court if the law enforcers did not register the case.

She stated: “On 01.06.2023 at about 11:00 pm, I was returning from dinner with my husband in our personal car … when a white color Toyota Hilux / Vigo … intercepted and hit our car from the front-left side and forced us to stop near Ideal Bakery on 26th Street, Defence Phase 5, Karachi.”

She further added: “Another vehicle i.e. a Silver Corolla blocked our vehicle from behind and as such, we were surrounded. Some 15 people along with weapons came out from the said vehicles in civil clothes and forced my husband to get out of the car, man-handling him towards the subject vehicle. They then abducted him and took him away and his whereabouts are unknown till now.”

In her application, she also requested immediate action be taken to ensure his swift release.

“In light of the above-mentioned situation, I have no other recourse than to approach your office for registration of my complaint for my missing husband. I would be thankful if an immediate action is taken for his swift release. Furthermore, action in accordance with law must be taken against those who abducted my husband,” she wrote.

Furthermore, Pasha told Geo News that a protest was being held at 4:00pm at the Karachi Press Club to demand her husband’s release.

Condemnations

As the news of Nasir’s abduction went viral, several people and human rights organisations condemned the incident.

Concerned by the abduction, they demanded that Nasir be returned home safely and quickly.

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) took to Twitter stating: “HRCP is deeply concerned by reports that lawyer and activist [Jibran Nasir] has been abducted by unknown armed persons in Karachi. We demand that he be safely recovered immediately and his abductors held accountable under the law.”

Prime Minister’s Strategic Reforms Salman Sufi also tweeted his support for the human rights activist.

“Very disturbing to hear about [Jibran Nasir] abduction. Hope Sindh police will assist his family and locate him immediately. Jibran has always spoken against violent extremism and rioting. Hoping for his safe and immediate return,” he wrote.

Moreover, Imaan Mazari, the daughter of the former human rights minister Shireen Mazari expressed his dismay at the news.

“No words… complete madness,” she tweeted.

Pakistan

8-year-old girl raped in Islamabad

Published

2 days ago

Farwa

Afghan girl was raped by a man in broad daylight.
Case lodged at Shahzad Town Police Station.
Medico-legal official confirms the girl’s rape.

ISLAMABAD: An 8-year-old Afghan girl was raped by a man in broad daylight who managed to run away in the presence of residents of Mohallah Diptian falling in the jurisdiction of Shahzad Town Police Station, The News reported Friday.

The minor victim was shifted to a hospital where the medico-legal official confirmed the rape.

The Shahzad Town police have registered the case against the unidentified rapist under sections 376 and 377/B of the Pakistan Penal Code on the complaint of the father of the victim but couldn’t hunt down the rapist till the filing of this report.

Hazar Gul, an Afghan national, hailing from Jalalabad, lodged a complaint with the Shahzad Town, saying that he was living in Mohallah Diptian, located near Mariam Masjid with his family for a couple of months.

“I was present at my house along with my elder brother when we heard some noises from the street, we rushed out of the house and witnessed a young man running towards us, consequently, without knowing the reason for his escape, we both tried to intercept him but he succeeded to let loose from our clutches and ran off from our custody,” the complainant narrating his story, said.

However, he said, “We moved towards the place where people of the street were gathered and saw my minor daughter crying.”

Upon query, the minor victim told him the tale of the brutal attack on her, saying she was playing near her house when she was dragged by the rapist into an under-construction house and raped forcibly.

The DPO (Rural) has taken up the case and asked the Shahzad Town police to take the case as a challenge and use all their efforts to make headway to arrest the rapist, the police sources said.

The SP has constituted teams and sent them to different locations to get a clue about the rapist.

The sources added that the police have rounded up a few suspects for investigation, claiming that the police teams would make headway to the criminal and hunt him down within the next 24 hours.