ISLAMABAD: The body of a woman, which was found in a wooded area in the capital on Wednesday, has yet to be identified.

Police officials said on Friday that in addition to her identification, they were also unable to determine the circumstances under which the deceased reached the location where the body was recovered.

Nadra has been approached but the authority has yet to respond, they said, adding that the deceased appears to have been between the ages of 17 and 20.

They said Nadra will not be able to help identify the deceased if she is below 18.

Officials said there were a few complaints regarding missing girls in the city, and investigators have approached the families in question without any success.

The Rawalpindi, Jhelum and Chakwal police have also been approached in writing for details regarding missing girls in their limits, the officials added.

Sniffer dogs were also taken to the spot where the body was found. They said the dogs were made to sniff the clothes of the deceased, which led them to a shrine in the area.

The shrine is commonly known as a baithak of a Sufi saint. There was no one available, including a caretaker, who could answer the investigators’ questions, but the police said investigators suspect there may be a connection between the baithak and the girl.

Officials said the spot where the deceased was found could be reached through a kilometre long tunnel from Nilor Road.

They said the deceased was not wearing shoes when the body was recovered, leading them to speculate that she may have been brought there by force.

However, no sign of resistance was found on the body or the deceased’s clothes.

The investigators are also waiting for the autopsy report to ascertain the cause of death, officials said, adding that there was little chance of a natural death.

Published in Dawn, February 11th, 2017