UMERKOT: A grieving Hindu family in Umerkot has desperately demanded safe return of their teenage daughter who was allegedly abducted under deceptive circumstances.

On Feb 16, the girl, an eleventh grade student, went to a local fair at the Shiv temple and did not return home. Her mother and a sister-in-law held a press conference on Friday at the Umerkot Press Club to share the family’s ordeal and appeal for an urgent action.

The mother, visibly distressed, tearfully told reporters: “If my daughter has gone willingly, let her come forward and tell us herself. We raised her with love and care. She was not just a daughter but like a son to me. We educated her and arranged her engagement according to her wishes in Samaro town. I believe she has been blackmailed and taken away.”

According to the family, the accused is a young man from Mandhal village in Umerkot who falsely presented himself a resident of Lahore.. Using the false identity, he gained the family’s trust over time, frequently visiting their home and building close relations. The family alleges that the girl might be lured, or blackmailed /threatened by the man.

The family emphasised that the girl’s engagement had been arranged with a boy of her own choice, and there was no reason for her to leave willingly.

The sister-in-law appealed to the Government of Sindh, law enforcement agencies, and higher authorities to ensure her safe recovery, arrest the accused, and take strict legal action. The family demanded a transparent investigation and swift justice, vowing to continue their struggle until their daughter returns safely.

Published in Dawn, February 21st, 2026