KARACHI: A woman whose body bearing marks of torture was found in Clifton on Tuesday was sexually assaulted before being murdered, officials said on Wednesday.

Police surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed said the body, with disfigured facial features and in the early stages of decomposition, was found in an open area within the jurisdiction of the Boat Basin police station.

“Initial findings [of a post-mortem examination] are strongly suggestive of sexual violence,” she said.

The officials said the victim was identified as Shahnaz Arshad Gill, who lived in Saeedabad, Baldia Town, but originally hailed from Mian Channu in the Khanewal district of Punjab.

She was around 49 years old as per her computerised national identity card. Her husband had died in 2019.

South DIG Syed Asad Raza told Dawn that the victim’s son had approached the police on Wednesday and identified his mother.

He told the police that she had been missing since Saturday (Nov 22), and he had filed a report regarding her disappearance at the area police station.

He said she had left her residence at around 8pm on Nov 22, saying she was going to a bazaar, but did not return. He said they had no enmity with anyone.

Published in Dawn, November 27th, 2025