Islamabad: On August 19, 2021, a Thursday in Sangrar, a suburb of Sukkur in Pakistan's Sindh province, a Muharram procession was underway. Amidst the mourning and distribution of sherbet, a 7-year-old girl named Priya was participating by helping distribute the drink. That day marked the beginning of an agonizing mystery, as Priya vanished without a trace.
Three years have passed since Priya's disappearance, and her whereabouts remain unknown. Whether Priya was taken by someone in the mourning crowd or fell victim to a sinister act, remains unclear. Her parents, tormented by grief, often wake up in the middle of the night crying for their lost daughter. Desperate for answers, they have taken their protest to Karachi, the capital and largest city of Sindh province.
On July 19, 2024, Priya's parents, Veena Kumari and Raj Kumar Pal, demonstrated at the well-known Teen Talwars area in Karachi's Clifton district, marking another year without their daughter, who would now be 10 years old. Their demonstration aimed to remind the public and authorities that Priya is still missing.
During the protest, Sindh Home Minister Zia Langrove and Inspector General of Police Javed Odho met with Priya's parents, assuring them that a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) was actively working on the case. The parents ended their protest after receiving these assurances. Raj Kumar Pal stated, "They have promised us again that they are looking for our daughter and she will be recovered soon."
Inspector General Javed Odho mentioned that despite extensive investigations, no witnesses have come forward with information about Priya’s disappearance. He emphasized that the JIT is working tirelessly to resolve the case, although the outcome remains uncertain.
The broader context of Priya’s disappearance is concerning. In many parts of Sindh province, there have been numerous reports of minor Hindu girls and even married Hindu women being kidnapped, forcibly converted to Islam, and married off. Although such incidents occasionally make headlines, they seldom result in concrete action. Local authorities often face pressure from powerful fundamentalist groups, leading to stalled investigations and a perpetuation of these atrocities. Victims and their families, like Priya's, continue to suffer without receiving the justice they deserve.
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