A homeless minor girl from flood-hit Shikarpur, dwelling on a footpath near Abdullah Shah Ghazi shrine in Karachi’s Clifton area, was kidnapped and gang-raped by a group of men, according to police and hospital officials.

Police surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed told Dawn.com that the 10-year-old girl went “missing” on Sunday at around noon and was brought to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) by her mother in a serious condition at 6:30pm the same day.

She was examined by a female medico-legal officer at the National Institute of Child Health (NICH).

“The examination revealed violent vaginal rape and physical injuries,” she said.

“The child’s sample swabs and clothes have been sealed for Semen Serology and DNA,” Dr Syed said, adding that the girl was said to be a flood affectee from Shikarpur.

South Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Syed Asad Raza told Dawn.com that the Boat Basin police have registered a first information report (FIR) against the suspects under sections 364-A (kidnapping or abducting a person under the age of 14), 376 (punishment for rape) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code by the girl’s mother.

The complainant, in a statement to the police, said that she hailed from the Shikarpur district. She said she was a widow and because of the recent floods had come to Karachi along with her six children to earn a livelihood.

We live on the footpath in the Shah Rasool Colony, the girl’s mother said, adding that she had been feeding her children from a langar (soup kitchen) near Abdullah Shah Ghazi’s shrine.

The complainant told the police that her daughter was outside Dolmen Mall Clifton on Sunday afternoon. “When she came back at around 2pm, there were blood stains on her clothes.

“On being asked, the girl told her mother that two persons traveling in a car abducted her and subjected her to criminal assault at an unknown place,” the FIR added.

CM takes notice

Later in the day, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah took notice of the gang rape and sought a detailed report from the Karachi commissioner. He also directed the police to immediately arrest the suspects.

“I am deeply saddened after learning about the gang-rape with the minor girl through media,” the provincial chief executive said, asserting that such incidents were “intolerable”.

The CM has also directed Minister for Social Welfare Shehlaz Raza to take the girl and her brother into protection immediately.

In a call with the Additional Inspector General of Karachi, Javed Odho, the CM was told that the South district police had set up a special team to probe the incident.

“DNA [test] of the girl is being carried out which would likely help police trace and arrest the suspects,” Odho said.