Body of minor Afghan girl found in Peshawar

Deceased six-year-old found in sugarcane fields day after body of eight-year-old Afghan boy discovered in Karak

PESHAWAR:

The body of a minor Afghan girl was found in the sprawling sugarcane farms on the outskirts of the Khazana area of Peshawar in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) on Wednesday.

Initial reports suggest the minor was raped before succumbing to death.

The six-year-old had been reported missing by her relatives on Tuesday evening - a disappearance that coincided with her mother's visit to her relatives, according to Superintendent of Police (SP) Zafer Khan.

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A missing persons report was filed for the minor, whose identity has been withheld to avoid further distress to the aggrieved family.

Although the family promptly alerted the authorities and an FIR was filed to initiate the search operation, the girl could not be rescued and was found lifeless in the sugarcane fields approximately 12 hours after the complaint was lodged.

The local authorities had commenced the process for medico-legal formalities and postmortem examination by the time this report was filed.

The infant's uncle, Faqir Muhammad, said the deceased's father is a daily wage earner. He is reportedly unaware of the loss, which according to her relatives has compounded economic concerns for the family.

A similar case was reported in neighbouring Nowshera District not too long ago.

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This is the second incident of an Afghan minor's body being found in the province in the past 24 hours. The body of an eight-year-old Afghan boy was found in the vicinity of Karak District of the province yesterday.

The motive behind the killing of the minor boy was not immediately apparent.

The authorities have initiated a probe into the recent incidents of mysterious deaths of Afghan children.

While the community reels from this loss and appeals to the authorities to ensure swift arrest and prosecution of the prime suspect in these cases, it is apparent that the authorities have repeatedly failed to ensure the protection of society's most vulnerable members.

The calls for justice echo the need for urgent steps to prevent crimes against children from reoccurring.