Haripur: District police have concluded the field search operation for five year old Ayat Noor following the recovery of her body from a dry well off University Road. The operation, initiated after the child was reported missing from Pathan Colony on August 10, involved over 400 personnel, municipal workers, and specialized IT teams. Her father, a local bakery worker, reported her disappearance after neighbourhood searches yielded no results. Haripur police subsequently registered a kidnapping case under the Pakistan Penal Code.
Investigating officers analysed footage from roughly 200 CCTV cameras alongside call data records, ultimately identifying a minor boy seen near the girl in street footage. Further digital evidence led authorities to arrest three key suspects identified by police as Usman, Qasim, and Talha and recover a motorcycle linked to the abduction.
During judicial proceedings before a duty magistrate, one of the arrested youths confessed to abducting the child and taking her to a nearby field before committing sexual assault. Following initial interrogations, police arrested a fourth suspect, Hassan Khan, whose statements led Rescue 1122 and law enforcement directly to the dry well where the child's body was hidden. The body was moved to the Rescue 1122 Trauma Centre in Haripur for postmortem and forensic analysis.
The tragic outcome has sparked widespread grief and public protests, including a six hour blockade of the Karakoram Highway by relatives and local residents demanding swift legal action. District Police Officer Shafiullah Gandapur confirmed that physical and judicial remands have been issued for the suspects as forensic investigations continue.
The tragic discovery comes amid a sharp spike in national outrage over gender based violence across the region. The incident follows the recent murder of popular TikToker Shamsu Bibi (known as Ayesha Gilamana) in Taxila, as well as the murder of (NA) staffer Hina Javed in Rawalpindi, which recently prompted emergency discussions on workplace harassment and violence against women during a (NA) session.
