6 detained for interrogation in Farishta murder case

Published May 25, 2019
The family of Farishta protested against alleged police inaction in Islamabad on Tuesday. ─ Photo courtesy Basit Sherani Twitter/File
The family of Farishta protested against alleged police inaction in Islamabad on Tuesday. ─ Photo courtesy Basit Sherani Twitter/File

Islamabad police have detained six people for questioning in connection with the Farishta kidnapping and murder case, a progress report of the investigation revealed.

According to the report, a copy of which is available with DawnNewsTV, police have so far interrogated 50 "relevant people" during the probe.

After the geofencing of the area, police also obtained data of 793,884 different mobile phone numbers that were active in the vicinity of the crime scenes around the time of the murder. So far, 1,587 numbers have been shortlisted as "suspicious", the report said, adding that the police are conducting analysis of remaining data.

Further evidence collected from the crime scene has been secured and will be sent to the Punjab Forensic Science Agency for analysis.

Two special investigation teams (SIT) have been constituted by the Inspector General of Police (IGP) of Islamabad, Amir Zulfiqar, in order to investigate the matter.

The case of 10-year-old Farishta's alleged murder came to light last week after her family members protested against the police in Islamabad, and activists and politicians highlighted it on social media. According to Farishta's father Ghulam Nabi, he had lodged a missing person's report a day after his daughter disappeared on May 15 as he feared that she had been abducted.

He alleged that instead of filing a first information report (FIR) and trying to recover Farishta, the station house officer told them she must have run away with someone. He also accused the Shahzad Town police station's personnel of making him clean the station.

Meanwhile, a four-day-old body recovered on Monday evening (May 20) was identified as that of Farishta by her father, who recognised her by her clothes. Police said samples taken from the body and the site where Farishta was found are being tested to ascertain whether she was subjected to gang rape and torture, as alleged by the family.

A case has also been registered against the police officials of Shahzad Town police station for negligence.

Opinion

One year on

One year on

Governance by the ruling coalition has been underwhelming and marked by growing authoritarianism.

Editorial

Climate funding gap
Updated 17 Feb, 2025

Climate funding gap

Pakistan must boost its institutional capacity to develop bankable climate projects.
UN monitoring report
Updated 17 Feb, 2025

UN monitoring report

Pakistan must press Kabul diplomatically over its tolerance of TTP terrorism.
Tax policy reform
17 Feb, 2025

Tax policy reform

THE cabinet’s decision to create a Tax Policy Office at the finance ministry has raised hopes that tax policy is...
Maintaining balance
Updated 16 Feb, 2025

Maintaining balance

It must take a more proactive approach to establishing Pakistan’s bona fides.
Welcome return
16 Feb, 2025

Welcome return

IT is almost here; the moment Pakistan has long been waiting for — the first International Cricket Council...
Childhood trauma
16 Feb, 2025

Childhood trauma

BEING a child in this society should not be so hard. But recurrent reports of child abuse — from burying girl...