SARGODHA: On June 22, 7-year-old Muntaha Zahra left home to buy groceries from the corner shop. Her family expected her back in a few minutes but she never returned.
As time passed, her family grew worried. Muntaha’s father and relatives went to the shop where she was last seen. According to the FIR, the shop owner gave no clear answer about her. Suspicion rose. The family searched the building and reached the third floor.
There they spotted the main suspect. Muntaha Zahra’s father said the man threw a knife from his hand and fled as soon as he saw them. A few moments later, the family found Muntaha. The FIR says she was between life and death, taking her last breaths. Severely injured, she died there. A family’s world collapsed.
Police later obtained CCTV footage from the area. The investigation found Muntaha entering the shop, but no footage showed her leaving. That discovery turned the investigation toward the store and the people inside.
The next day, police registered a case on Muntaha’s father’s complaint. The FIR included Pakistan Penal Code sections 302 for murder, 376 for rape of a minor, 511 for attempt to commit an offense, and 109 for abetment.
The complainant stated the main suspect tried to sexually assault Muntaha Zahra and then killed her. The FIR also accused the shop owner and two other men, saying the crime was committed at their behest. Muntaha’s father claimed he had a dispute with the shop owner two days before the incident. He said he was threatened with “a lesson he would remember for life.”
After the incident, Sargodha police announced four arrests. Those arrested included the main suspect, the shop owner and two other suspects. Later, District Police Officer Suhaib Ashraf confirmed a fifth suspect was also in custody, though his role was not revealed.
Police and the Crime Control Department started a joint investigation. Initial DNA test results reportedly linked the main suspect, Arsalan, to the crime. A senior CCD officer said DNA samples matched Arsalan. During interrogation, officials said Arsalan confessed to sexually assaulting and killing the child.
Arsalan was produced in a Sargodha court, where Civil Judge Imran Farooq approved a six-day physical remand so investigators could gather more evidence.
The case took a new turn today (June 24, 2026) when CCD officials said Arsalan was killed in an alleged police encounter. According to CCD, he was being taken for a recovery based on information from interrogation when unidentified armed men opened fire on the team.
Officials said Arsalan’s accomplices fired randomly to free him. Police returned fire. Arsalan was shot and died on the spot. His accomplices escaped under cover of darkness. CCD called in additional force and started a search operation. Raids are being conducted at various locations to arrest the absconding suspects.
Muntaha Zahra’s murder became more than a crime report. It became a national tragedy. Grief and anger spread across Pakistan. Demands for justice surged on social media. Journalists, activists and public figures called for the strictest punishment for everyone involved.
Today Muntaha’s home still holds her memories. Her toys, her laughter, her dreams which all ended suddenly. But her story forced the country to ask again: when will our children be safe?
Muntaha Zahra is no longer here neither is her killer. Her parents and millions of Pakistanis have one demand now: child abusers must face exemplary punishment under the law so no other family’s happiness is destroyed like this.
