Zia Lanjar, the Home Minister of Sindh, has expressed determination to recover the abducted Hindu girl, Priya Kumari. Speaking to the media on Sunday, Mr. Lanjar announced the formation of another Joint Investigation Team (JIT) under the supervision of DIG Javed Soonharo Jiskani. Senior Superintendents of Police Amjad Shaikh and Tanweer Ahmed Tunio will serve as its members. “The three-member JIT will thoroughly reinvestigate the matter and spare no effort to recover the girl if she is alive and being held captive,” he added, acknowledging the possibility raised by certain quarters that Ms. Kumari might have been killed.
In response to the failure of police teams to recover Ms. Kumari, who was allegedly abducted three years ago from the Sangrar locality of Sukkur, various political parties, rights activists, members of civil society, and ordinary citizens staged demonstrations. The protests were held to register their discontent with the law enforcement’s inability to locate Ms. Kumari, who was nine years old at the time of her disappearance. Thari Mirwah town in Khairpur district observed a complete shutdown, with people from all walks of life rallying outside the local press club. Similar demonstrations took place in Karachi, Hyderabad, Sukkur, Larkana, Panu Akil, Digri, Tando Mohammad Khan, Mithi, Moro, Tando Bago, and other towns across the province.
The participants of these protests demanded the immediate recovery of Priya and other kidnapped individuals from the grip of dacoits operating in various troubled areas of the province. They also expressed deep concerns about the escalating crime wave throughout the province and the failure of authorities to maintain law and order.
