12 February 2004	Thursday	20 Zilhaj 1424

KARACHI, Feb 11: A nine-year-old girl was brutally killed by unknown persons in Sector 11-G, New Karachi Industrial Area early Wednesday morning. Police said that Saira, 9, had gone missing since Tuesday evening. Her body was later found with strangulation marks on her neck and -cigarette burn mark- near her right eye.

It appeared that victim's killers had tried to peel off the skin by nails, doctors at the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital said. They said that the girl was also subjected to sexual assault.

The victim's mother, who works in a garment factory, had sent Saira with some shirts for delivery on Tuesday evening. However, she did not return, police said.

Quoting the factory officials, police said that there was some inadequacy in the shirts and the girl was told to take those back. For questioning, police picked up some employees of the garment factory. Police said the victim's father, Mohammad Sharif, had eight children, including an identical twin of the victim.

ACCIDENT: A truck cleaner died in road accident. Police said that two trucks (JF-0773) and (JT-4510) collided with each other near Habib Bank Chowrangi in Site. The collision resulted in serious injuries to the cleaner, Danish, who was sitting on top of a truck. Danish was taken to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, where doctors pronounced him dead.

DIES: A teenager died of burns in Orangi Town. Police said Nageena, 18, suffered serious burns inside her house in Sector-13 of Orangi Town. She was brought to the Civil Hospital with 96 per cent burn wounds, where she died during treatment.