Over 500 Missing Girls’ Cases Pending in Pakistan, Court Rebukes Police

More than 500 cases involving missing girls remain unresolved in Pakistan’s Punjab province, prompting strong criticism of the police from the Lahore High Court.

The issue came to light during a hearing on Wednesday of a writ petition filed by Sadia Hussain, a resident of Faisalabad, who had approached the court seeking the recovery of her missing daughter. During the hearing, Punjab Inspector General of Police (IGP) Rao Abdul Karim confirmed that the girl had already been recovered.

Court Questions Police Response

Lahore High Court Chief Justice Alia Neelum asked whether the police had any specific and effective mechanism to deal with cases involving missing women and children.

The IGP responded that a special committee had been formed to address such cases.

The explanation, however, did not satisfy the chief justice. She expressed concern that the police often become active only after courts intervene. As an example, she referred to a case in which a girl who had been missing for nearly two years was recovered only after the court stepped in.

Concerns Over Families’ Suffering

The chief justice also questioned whether police officials had considered the trauma and suffering families endure when a child goes missing.

She expressed strong dissatisfaction over what she described as negligence in protecting women and ensuring their safety, stressing the need for a more effective response to missing-person cases.

Court Orders Detailed Progress Report

At the end of the hearing, Chief Justice Alia Neelum directed the Punjab police chief to submit a detailed report outlining the measures being taken to recover missing girls and the progress made in the pending cases.

With more than 500 cases involving missing girls still unresolved in Punjab, the issue has raised fresh questions about the effectiveness of law enforcement and the protection of women and children in the province. The court will now examine the police’s progress report at the next stage of the proceedings.