By Imtiaz Hussain
SUKKUR:The body of an eight-year-old girl, Aamina, the missing daughter of a mosque’s prayer leader, was found stuffed in a sack in the Dengan branch canal in Mirpurkhas.
Reports said Aamina, daughter of Pesh Imam Ghulam Haider Kandhani, had been missing for five days from Jhaloori City in the Mirpurkhas district. Her parents searched for her among relatives and in nearby areas but found no clue to her whereabouts.
Ghulam Haider Kandhani said his daughter, Aamina, a class-11 student, had left home for school five days ago, returned home during the break, and went back again — but never reached the school. He said some girls from the school brought Aamina’s bag to their home and told the family she had not come back after the break, meaning she never arrived at school.
He alleged that instead of helping to find his daughter, the local police subjected him to mental harassment and hinted that “other matters” were behind her disappearance. On Sunday, irrigation workers spotted a gunny bag floating in the Dengan branch and informed police.
Officers reached the scene, recovered the body, and shifted it to the Civil Hospital Mirpurkhas for legal formalities. Hundreds of people gathered outside the hospital after hearing about the tragic discovery. Following the recovery of the body, residents of Jhaloori City blocked roads, burned tyres, and staged protests demanding the arrest of those responsible.
Home Minister Zia-ul-Hassan Lanjar took notice of the incident and directed the SSP Mirpurkhas to conduct a thorough investigation and arrest the culprits. Provincial Minister for Tourism and Culture Syed Zulfiqar Ali Shah and MNA Mir Munawar Talpur also condemned the killing, calling it “extremely tragic”.
PPP MNA Pir Aftab Hussain Shah Gillani contacted the SSP Mirpurkhas, demanding the immediate arrest of those involved in what he described as a “brutal murder”.
Former MNA Syed Ali Nawaz Shah visited the Civil Hospital, met the victim’s family, and expressed his condolences. Speaking to reporters, he said the child had gone missing on her way to school, but the police failed to recover her in time, and her body was later found in a sack.
He criticized the local police, claiming politically appointed officers worked only to please elected representatives. “There is lawlessness everywhere,” he said. “This cannot go on any longer — otherwise, the people here will be crushed.” He demanded the immediate arrest of the suspects involved in the girl’s killing.
DIG Mirpurkhas Muhammad Zubair and SSP Sumair Noor Channa visited the scene, recorded the parents’ statements, and began an inquiry into the case. PTI Sindh President Haleem Adil Sheikh strongly condemned the incident, saying an innocent child had been missing for five days while the police “did not bother to search for her”.
He called for a judicial inquiry and demanded justice for the victim’s family. “Those involved in such heinous acts must be punished according to the law,” he said, adding that he stood with the bereaved family and would extend all possible assistance.
