Three minor girls were found brutally murdered with their throats slit near their residence in Muzaffargarh on Tuesday with law enforcers tracing the culprit, according to police.

It is not clear if there was more than one killer involved at this stage.

Talking to Dawn.com, District Police Officer (DPO) Muzaffargarh Syed Hasnain Haider stated that the police were informed about the disappearance of three sisters on Monday from the Thermal Colony area. Subsequently, a search operation was launched.

“Immediately after receiving information from the girls’ family, the police initiated a search and discovered three bodies in an abandoned house near the victims’ home,” he explained.

The victims were identified as seven-year-old Abia, eight-year-old Zahrah, and 11-year-old Areesha.

He stated that the police were in the process of collecting evidence and expressed hope that the culprits would be apprehended soon.

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As per the complaint submitted to the police before the discovery of the bodies, a copy of which is available with Dawn.com, the brother of the victims narrated that his two sisters, Zahrah and Abia, had gone out to play at a nearby playground around 5pm on Monday and did not come back.

He further stated, “Later, my other sister Areesha went out to look for the two missing sisters, and she also did not return.”

In his plea, he had requested the police to conduct a thorough search for his sisters, as his own attempts to locate them had been in vain.

The FIR

Later, a first information report (FIR) of the murders was registered at City police station on behalf of Sub-Inspector (SI) Sajjad Ahmed under Section 302 (intentional murder) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

The case was filed against unidentified individuals.

The FIR, a copy of which is available with Dawn.com, said the SI was patrolling an area with other police personnel around 10:15pm on Monday when the girls’ father, Muhammad Basit, informed him via Rescue 15 that his daughters had been missing for long.

“They went to play in a nearby park but did not return,” the FIR quoted the father as saying.

Subsequently, the police launched a search in the area, the FIR said, adding that in the morning, the girls’ brother, Shahzeb, informed them that he had gone to get a pedestal fan from a quarter adjacent to his house.

The quarter’s door was locked and upon not finding the key, he said he broke a lock with a hammer.

“Upon entering the room, I found one of the girls’ lying there dead,” the FIR quoted him as saying.

Police then reached the scene and found Zehra lying with her throat slit in a pool of blood, the FIR said, adding that Fatima’s body was also found in a similar condition.

Aressha, too, was found with her throat slit and several cuts on her body in the kitchen, the FIR added.

It said the bodies were sent to Muzaffargarh District Headquarters Hospital for post-mortem.

CM takes notice

Punjab caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi has taken notice of the incident and directed the regional police officer (RPO) of Dera Ghazi Khan to provide a report on the matter.

He further called upon the police to thoroughly investigate the grisly killings and ensure the swift apprehension of suspects.

The chief minister emphasised that immediate justice should be delivered to the grieving families without any delays.

Additionally, according to the statement, Naqvi extended his heartfelt sympathy and condolences to the bereaved families.