SUKKUR: DIG Pir Mohammad Shah has hinted at a ‘good news’ to be heard soon by the people of Sindh, saying that Priya Kumari, who had gone missing in August 2021, would soon reunite with her family.

Kumari was seven-year-old when she disappeared while serving water at a sabeel on the eve of Ashura almost three years back. Civil society organisations, political parties and nationalist groups had been running a sustained campaign for her recovery since then.

DIG Shah’s is the first statement by any police officer or a government official that reassures people that Priya Kumari is not only alive but also accessible, hence rekindling hope for her recovery and reunion with her family.

Speaking to the media here on Thursday, the DIG said: “People of Sindh will soon hear a good news about Pirya Kumari; she will see her parents soon”. He avoided going into details of progress made by police in their efforts to reach the missing girl.

Regarding the murder case of senior journalist Jan Mohammad Mahar, he disclosed that the killers had been identified and would be arrested “within the next few days”.

“The prime suspect, Shero Mahar, is hiding in a gang-infested riverine area that is not accessible to police but we have chalked out a plan to ensure arrest of all those involved in the murder,” he said.

In reply to a question about journalist Nasrullah Gadani’s murder case, DIG Shah said that some suspects had been arrested “but false rumours against police are being spread [on social media]. He did not elaborate on the nature of rumours.

Published in Dawn, May 31st, 2024