ISLAMABAD: The capital police have sought help from the National Press Club to trace two teenage girls who have been missing since 2016.

In-charge of the investigation wing, SP Zubair Ahmed Sheikh, had requested the senior superintendent of police (SSP) for the issuance of a letter to the president of the press club in order to publicise the disappearance of the two girls.

A team of senior officers also met the office-bearers of the press club and sought their assistance.

“They are requested to publicise the details of the two girls through newspapers and TV channels in order to trace them,” a police officer said.

A case was registered at the Khanna police station n Dec 16, 2016, on the charge of PPC 365B (kidnapping, abducting or inducing woman to compel for marriage). The police investigated the case for five months and then referred it to the investigation wing on May 27, 2017.

Later, a suspect was arrested who filed a bail application in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on July 4, 2017. During hearing of the case, the court ordered the police to get the girls recovered and produce them in the court.

In response, an investigation team, comprising senior officers, was constituted which so far has interrogated 524 suspects nominated by the complainants in their supplementary statements.

In January, the police also announced a cash reward of Rs10 million for anyone assisting it to trace the girls.

A police officer told Dawn that the two girls, aged 16 and 17 years, were last seen by one of their tenants.

“They told the tenant that they were going to a nearby clinic to see the mother of one of them.”

Press club General Secretary Shakeel Anjum said the office-bearers of the press club had assured the police of full cooperation in this regard.

Published in Dawn, June 22nd, 2018