IHC orders JIT probe into missing girl

IHC orders JIT probe into missing girl

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has directed authorities to intensify efforts to recover Ayesha Fatima, a girl who has remained missing for the past seven months. Following the court’s directions, authorities have formed a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) under the supervision of the Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Islamabad to investigate the case and trace the missing girl.

The JIT includes the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Investigation, representatives from the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and Intelligence Bureau (IB), as well as a female police officer. The team will continue its investigation until it finds a credible lead about Ayesha’s whereabouts and takes steps to secure her safe recovery.

Justice Khadim Hussain Soomro of the Islamabad High Court issued the detailed written order after hearing the case. The court expressed serious concern over the girl’s failure to return home despite seven months having passed since her disappearance. It stressed the need for an immediate, effective and comprehensive investigation rather than relying solely on the information already recorded in the first information report (FIR).

The court has set detailed terms of reference for the JIT. It directed investigators to determine Ayesha’s last known location and reconstruct her movements before and after she disappeared. The team must also identify people who contacted her around the time of her disappearance and question all relevant individuals, including family members, friends, acquaintances, witnesses and suspects.

The court specifically instructed the investigators not to confine their inquiry to the version presented in the FIR. Instead, they must independently examine the possible involvement of every named person and anyone else who emerges as a potential suspect during the investigation.

Investigators will also obtain and analyse mobile phone data and conduct geofencing around the location where the girl was last seen. The JIT must examine available CCTV footage from the disappearance site as well as footage from other locations identified during the investigation.

The court further ordered the team to examine digital and social media evidence in accordance with the law. Investigators will look into financial transactions and assess whether any money transfers could help establish the girl’s whereabouts or reveal the involvement of other individuals.

The JIT will also investigate the possibility that Ayesha may have been moved outside Pakistan. Authorities must examine all available evidence relating to a possible overseas transfer or movement and coordinate with the relevant departments where necessary.

The investigation will not remain limited to a single theory. The court has directed the JIT to explore every reasonable possibility, including kidnapping, abduction, illegal confinement, human trafficking, exploitation or any other offence that may have contributed to the girl’s disappearance.

Where the evidence points towards the involvement of specific individuals, the authorities must identify them and take action under the law. The court also directed investigators to seriously assess credible information received from the family, witnesses, informants or any other reliable source.

The court has ordered the police, FIA, IB and other relevant departments to provide full cooperation to the JIT. The directions are intended to ensure that investigators use all available investigative, digital and intelligence resources to locate the missing girl and determine what happened to her.

The formation of the JIT marks a renewed effort to move the investigation forward after seven months without recovery. The court has made it clear that the investigation must continue actively until authorities obtain a concrete lead and make every lawful effort to bring Ayesha Fatima back safely.