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A 15-year-old girl, Zehra Batool, who went missing from Karachi’s Gulshan-e-Iqbal Block 5 on January 16, has been recovered in Naushahro Feroze following a police raid. The discovery has raised questions about the circumstances surrounding her disappearance — was it a case of kidnapping, or did she leave on her own accord?
Police sources confirmed that Zehra was found during a recent operation, and the suspect in the case, Azhar Ali, a security guard from the neighborhood, was apprehended. According to the Gulshan-e-Iqbal investigation police, the family had initially filed a kidnapping complaint against the suspect, who was believed to have been involved in the disappearance.
Zehra’s father, Mr. Abidi, had raised suspicions after his daughter went missing on January 16. He explained to the media that Zehra had left a local majlis (religious gathering) to return home, but never arrived. Mr. Abidi had a prior altercation with Azhar Ali, the suspect, over a local issue, which reportedly led to Azhar’s termination from his job as a security guard. Days after Zehra’s disappearance, another guard allegedly informed Mr. Abidi that Azhar Ali had abducted his daughter. The accused reportedly threatened Mr. Abidi, saying, “Do whatever you want.”
However, during the investigation, Zehra reportedly told police that she had left voluntarily and on her own accord, bringing a twist to the case. This raises questions similar to those in other high-profile cases, such as that of Dua Zehra, another young girl from Karachi who made headlines when she was reported missing in April 2022, only to claim later she had eloped with a man of her choosing.