6 detained for interrogation in Farishta murder case

Published
7
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

Editorial

Danger ahead
Updated 08 Aug, 2026

Danger ahead

PAKISTAN has already paid a heavy human price this monsoon, even as another dangerous spell approaches. NDMA figures...
Israeli impunity
08 Aug, 2026

Israeli impunity

ANY hope that Hamas’s decision to disarm would lead to a breakthrough has been dashed for one simple reason:...
Flawed investigations
Updated 08 Aug, 2026

Flawed investigations

An inaccurate record of a victim’s wounds hinders the dispensation of justice. Medical examiners in such a critical area cannot cut corners.
Terrorist havens
07 Aug, 2026

Terrorist havens

DESPITE the use of both carrots and sticks by the international community, the Afghan Taliban refuse to cut their...
Mineral wealth
Updated 07 Aug, 2026

Mineral wealth

Any future agreements involving critical minerals must be subjected to rigorous legal, financial and technical scrutiny.
Growth denied
07 Aug, 2026

Growth denied

THE Sindh government’s agreement with the World Bank to combine health, nutrition, sanitation, social protection...