ISLAMABAD: National Assembly speaker on Monday directed police chief of the capital to submit a report over the murder of a seven-year-old girl after alleged rape.

Convener of Parliamentary Children’s Right Caucus MNA Mehnaz Akbar Aziz spoke about the incident in the NA by describing it as “brutal murder” which took place 5 kilometres away from the Parliament.

The convener asked the police to investigate the case on merit and avoid hiding facts.

So far the culprit(s) behind the brutality was yet to be arrested, she said, adding police in her constituency, Shakargarh arrested criminals within two to three days however, in the capital, people who committed crimes against children were never be arrested.

This is a very big concern for us, she said and requested the speaker to send a clear message to the police to do their job well.

NA Speaker Raja Pervez Ashraf directed the inspector general of police (IGP) Islamabad to submit an investigation report and all details related to the case to his office within seven days.

Over the incident, a case was registered at Bhara Kahu police station. According to the first information report (FIR), the girl was residing with her grandfather at Naiabadi and disappeared around noon. After some time, her body was found lying on a street adjacent to a haveli, it added.

Some unidentified person(s) took her to the haveli with the intention to rape her, it said, adding that after murdering her, her body was thrown in the street.

Sources in police said that the mutilated body of the child, was spotted by some passerby.

The local police were also informed and later the body was shifted to hospital for autopsy.

The police also visited the haveli and found belongings of the child there.

Bhara Kahu police said that no one had been arrested for the crime so far and some suspects were under interrogation. The police ruled out the possibility of rape in light of the autopsy report.

When asked if samples were taken from the body and sent to Lahore for chemical examination, police said that the samples were taken and are yet to be sent.

Officials were asked about why the autopsy ruled out the possibility of the rape without results of this test, to which they said that there was no need for the above-mentioned examination for minors.

Senior superintendent of police (operations), Sub divisional police officer (Bhara Kahu) and police public relations officer (PPRO) were not available for comments despite repeated attempts.

Published in Dawn, May 23rd, 2023