Lahore:Lahore High Court (LHC) Chief Justice Aalia Neelum has expressed concern over the rising incidents of girls abduction in Punjab and sought a detailed report from the Inspector General of Police (IGP).
Chief Justice Aalia Neelum was hearing a petition filed by Faisalabad resident Saadia Hussan, who complained that her 16-year-old daughter had not been recovered despite repeated assurances by the police.
During the hearing, the chief justice asked the IGP how many cases involving the abduction of girls were pending in the province. IGP Rao Abdul Kareem told the court that more than 500 such cases were on record and that efforts were underway to trace the missing girls.
The chief justice also questioned the police mechanism for investigating cases involving women and children and ensuring their recovery. The IGP said committees had been constituted to deal with cases concerning women and children.
The chief justice questioned the effectiveness of the committees, asking why the situation remained unchanged despite their formation.
She observed that the police had become active after the High Court took notice of the matter. She noted that a girl who had been missing for two years was recovered shortly after the court issued a notice.
The chief justice asked how many other cases involved girls who had remained missing for extended periods. The IGP again told the court that more than 500 cases were being investigated.
The chief justice expressed concern over the plight of families whose daughters had gone missing, asking whether the authorities had ever considered what the parents of such girls went through.
‘Five hundred is a very large number,’ the chief justice remarked.
The court also expressed concern over the police response to cases involving women. It observed that there was considerable negligence on the part of police in such cases and that a perception existed within the police department that a missing girl might somehow be responsible for her circumstances.
During the hearing, police produced the 16-year-old missing girl before the court after recovering her. The chief justice verified her identity and asked her to show her face for identification.
The court asked the IGP whether she was the same girl whose photograph had been submitted to the court. IGP Rao Abdul Kareem replied in the affirmative.
The court directed the IGP to submit a detailed report on the recovery of missing girls across Punjab and ordered that further proceedings in the matter will continue.