The Lahore High Court Chief Justice Aalia Neelum has directed the Punjab police chief to submit a detailed report on more than 500 pending cases of missing girls in Punjab. The direction came during the hearing of a recovery petition filed by Sadia Hussain, a Faisalabad resident whose 16-year-old daughter, Sakina Bibi, had been missing for nearly two years.
Police produced the recovered girl before the bench, and the court disposed of the petition after her rescue. Chief Justice Neelum asked Inspector General of Police Rao Abdul Kareem whether the girl produced was the same as the one whose photograph was on the court record. The IGP confirmed that she was.
Court questions committees on missing girls in Punjab cases
The chief justice questioned why such a large number of cases remained pending even though committees had been formed to handle cases involving women and children. “If committees had been formed, why is the situation still like this?” the court asked.
The bench noted that a girl who had been missing for two years was recovered shortly after the high court took notice of the matter. It asked how many other girls had remained missing for long periods while their families waited.
Chief Justice Neelum also criticised the attitude of the police towards cases involving women. She observed that there was a mindset within the department about what a girl involved in a case might be like. “This mindset needs to change,” the court observed.
She asked the officials to consider the suffering of parents whose daughters had disappeared, remarking: “Have you ever thought about what the parents of missing girls must be going through? Five hundred is a very large number.”
IGP briefs court on case figures and recovery efforts
The IGP told the media that police would review all cases involving women and children, covering the quality of investigation, the outcomes and the follow-up work.
He said around 3,200 such cases had been recorded up to January 2025, while 500 cases dating from January 1, 2021, remained pending. The police would determine whether missing women had been recovered and whether their cases had been properly concluded.
The IGP said recovery of missing women was essential and stressed continuous capacity-building for investigating officers.
FAQ
How many missing-girl cases are pending in Punjab?
More than 500 cases dating from January 1, 2021, remain pending, according to the briefing the IGP gave the Lahore High Court.
How many such cases were recorded in total?
Around 3,200 cases involving women and children were recorded up to January 2025, the IGP informed the court.
What case prompted the hearing?
The court was hearing a recovery petition by Sadia Hussain of Faisalabad for her 16-year-old daughter Sakina Bibi, who had been missing for nearly two years. Police produced the girl before the bench after her recovery, and the case was disposed of.
What did the chief justice say about police conduct?
She criticised a prevailing mindset within the police about girls involved in cases and observed that this mindset needed to change.
What happens next?
The IGP has been directed to submit a detailed report on efforts to trace and recover the missing girls, and the police will review the investigation quality, outcomes and follow-up of all pending women-and-children cases.
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Originally reported by tribune.com.pk.
