MANSEHRA: As mystery surrounded a schoolgirl’s death on campus in the Hilkot area here on Saturday, the police began an investigation.

“We’re trying to ascertain what exactly happened to the girl,” additional SHO of the Battal police station Shujaat Hussain Shah told reporters.

He said the body was shifted to a health centre to fulfil medico-legal formalities.

Mehrun Nisa Naseem complained to police that her 14-year-old eighth-grade daughter went to the Government Middle School Hilkot in the morning but at around 1230 noon, she was informed about her death.

“A teacher informed me over the phone that my daughter’s body is lying in the school’s backyard, so I rushed therewith my family members and found the body in a pool of blood,” she said.

Family claims 14-year-old died by suicide; police begin probe

The woman claimed that her daughter died by suicide.

The police shifted the body to the Battal rural health centre for postmortem.

Additional SHO Shujaat Shah said the police had collected “circumstantial evidence from the crime scene” and initiated investigation to ascertain the exact cause of death.

He said the girl’s annual examinations were under way.

DISTRIBUTED: A Chinese company executing the Dasu hydropower project in Upper Kohistan district on Saturday distributed packets of essential goods for orphans, widows and deserving families ahead of Eidul Fitr.

“We have received Ramazan Packages from the China Gezhouba Group Company and will soon distribute them to orphans, widows and deserving families across the district,” deputy commissioner Tariq Ali Khan told reporters.

The China Gezhouba Group Company handed over the goods during a special ceremony in the district headquarters Dasu.

“Our administration is grateful to the Chinese company for providing essential goods to deserving families in our district during the holy month of Ramazan, continuing their relief efforts from previous years,” Mr Khan said.

He said the packets would reach the most deserving families across the district.

Meanwhile, the Lower Kohistan district administration has lauded the performance of civil defence volunteers and awarded a “certificate of recognition” to the department’s chief warden.

Deputy commissioner Tariq Mehmood gave away the certificate to Abdul Qayyum during a ceremony in his office in the district headquarters Pattam.

Mr Mehmood commended the civil defence volunteers for their rescue and relief efforts in disasters, especially during flash floods.

He said the district administration would strengthen the civil defence department in the area to enable it to effectively address natural disasters and fire incidents.

Published in Dawn, March 23rd, 2025