Protesters in Lahore, Karachi demand recovery of girl kidnapped from Gilgit

GIGLGIT: Protest demonstrations were held in Lahore and Karachi for the recovery of an allegedly kidnapped 13-year-old girl from Gilgit-Baltistan and against the “murder” of another girl.

Students, lawyers, and civil society activists from Gilgit-Baltistan participated in the protests held in front of press clubs of the respective cities. The protesters were carrying banners and placards inscribed with their demands.

The demonstrators praised the courage of Falak Noor’s father, Sakhi Ahmed Jan for standing tall against the criminals. They reiterated their commitment to stand shoulder to shoulder with him until the recovery of the girl.

The protesters expressed extreme concern over the recovery of the body of the missing young girl Inara from the banks of the river. They demanded a thorough investigation and strict action against those involved. It is worth mentioning that Inara went missing from the Danyore police station area on March 5, and a missing complaint was registered on March 8. However, she was found dead near the riverside in Danyore. of have collected evi.

The protesters also demanded the immediate passage of the Child Restraint Act bill. They also questioned the role of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Child Rights Commission regarding recent incidents of illegal marriage of a minor girl in Mansehra.

Addressing the protests, speakers demanded immediate recovery of the girl and presented her before the court.
“Use authentic medical and legal methods to determine the girl’s age. Investigate the procedures of the marriage registrar and registry according to the law and impose penalties,” they added.

They also demanded action against police officers accused by the girl’s parents for “facilitating the abduction”.

Background

Falak Noor, an 11-year-old girl from Gilgit, went missing on January 20 after leaving her home for a Quran study session in the Sultanabad area of Danyore Police jurisdiction. The initial response from Falak’s family was a desperate search throughout the neighbourhood, which unfortunately yielded no results. Her father, Sakhi Ahmed Jan, upon discovering her absence, engaged family and neighbours in the search, later escalating the matter to the Danyore Police Station with a missing person report.

Acting on information from a relative of the suspect, identified as a teenager, Freed Alam, Jan lodged an FIR under section 364 A of the Pakistan Penal Code, accusing Freed of kidnapping Falak.

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However, the case took a dramatic turn when Falak Noor reappeared and issued a statement through the media, asserting that she had not been kidnapped but had eloped of her own volition. This revelation challenged the initial kidnapping narrative and introduced a new layer of complexity to the case. Falak declared her actions were driven by love and her desire to marry Freed, a decision she claimed to have made willingly.