Sindh police, civil society members and government dignitaries on Monday paid tribute to Kashmore Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Mohammad Bux Buriro and his family for the "exemplary initiative" they undertook to recover a child who had been sexually assaulted as well as to catch the main suspect of the case.

In a ceremony, held at the Central Police Office in Karachi, Sindh inspector general of police announced a cash reward of Rs2 million for the ASI and his family.

Last week, police had managed to nab a man suspected of raping a woman and her minor daughter for two days after duping the former with a job offer in northern Sindh's Kashmore district.

The victim had told police that the suspect had raped her after she reached his residence, and he then handed her over to another man living near the Sindh-Balochistan border. That man also allegedly raped the woman, according to Kashmore Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Amjad Ali Shaikh.

She said that the suspect held her five-year-old daughter hostage, saying he would only let her go when she brought him another woman from Karachi. According to police, the suspect also gave her some money to cover her travelling expenses.

In order to trap the suspect, ASI Burriro persuaded his wife to talk to the man over the phone. Later, his daughter, along with the victim, waited in a park in Kashmore where the suspect was scheduled to meet them. The suspect was apprehended by the police as soon as he arrived and led police to a cattle pen where he had kept the young girl.

ASI Burriro, while narrating the incident at the ceremony today, was overcome with emotion.

Sindh IGP Mushtaq Mahar also lauded the official and said that many police officials had sacrificed their lives in the line of service, Burriro's case was "unique" as the ASI not only overcame cultural boundaries of Kashmore's tribal areas but also risked his daughter's safety in order to save the minor victim and catch the suspect.

IGP Mahar said that he would recommend the government to award the ASI with the prestigious Tamgha-i-Shujaat, while his daughter, who had helped the police lay out a trap for the suspect, to be awarded the Tamgha-i-Imtiaz.

“I have served the police for 32 years but this is a moment of pride for me,” Mahar said.

Sindh government spokesperson Murtaza Wahab also attended the ceremony on behalf of Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, who is currently in isolation after contracting Covid-19.

Speaking on the occasion, Wahab commended ASI Burriro and his family and said that society should emulate the same values shown by the police official. He also urged IGP Mahar to set up a team of police officers to deal with cases of gender-based violence.

District Inspector General (Administration) Amin Yousufzai said that the event was historic as such ceremonies were usually only held for senior officials.

“ASI Mohammed Bux may be junior in ranks but he is bigger than us in terms of sacrifice and humanity,” he said.

Earlier, when the ASI and his family arrived at the venue, a police band presented a salute. The salute was also presented to other police officers namely Deputy Superintendent Mohammed Panah, Inspector Khero, Habibullah Mahar, Malik Ghulam Abbas, Nadir Husain and Himat Ali who also took part in recovery of the minor girl and arrest of the suspects.