Missing 14-year-old girl found murdered in Rawalpindi park

Body recovered days after abduction case registered; police await post-mortem report

RAWALPINDI:

A 14-year-old girl who went missing from Rawalpindi’s Dhok Hassu area earlier this week was found murdered on Saturday, police said.

The sack-packed body of the girl, identified as Misbah, was recovered from Ladies Park on Carriage Factory Road, within the jurisdiction of Ratta Amral police station.

According to a police spokesperson, senior officers, including the SSP Operations, SSP Investigation and SP Rawal, reached the spot along with a police contingent. The body was shifted to a hospital for a post-mortem examination, while forensic evidence was collected from the scene.

Police said a first information report regarding the girl’s abduction had been registered on January 23 at Ratta Amral police station on the complaint of her elder brother, Ali Raza.

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According to the FIR, Ali Raza, a labourer, told police that he lives in Rawalpindi with his family, which includes six brothers. He said that on January 22, at around 9pm, he was not at home when his younger sister Misbah, aged between 13 and 14 years, told their mother she was going to a nearby shop to buy a cold drink and household items.

The complainant said only women were present in the house at the time. When Misbah did not return after a considerable period, the family searched the surrounding area and contacted relatives, but her whereabouts could not be traced.

The FIR stated that the complainant suspected an unknown person had enticed or abducted his minor sister and requested legal action for her recovery.

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On the basis of the complaint, police registered a case under Section 363 of the Pakistan Penal Code, which deals with kidnapping, and launched an investigation.

“The incident is being investigated from all angles,” the police spokesperson said, adding that the post-mortem report would determine whether the girl was sexually assaulted before being killed.

Police confirmed that the body had been identified by the complainant. “After completion of the investigation, those involved will be arrested and produced before the court,” the Rawalpindi police spokesperson said.