Pakistani police have arrested four suspects in connection with the abduction, sexual assault and murder of five-year-old Ayat Noor, District Police Officer Shafiullah Gandapur said on Wednesday.
Speaking at a press conference alongside members of the Special Investigation Team, Gandapur expressed deep sorrow over the child’s death and said the disappearance or abduction of a child was not merely a family tragedy but a matter of concern for the entire society.
According to police, Ayat Noor’s father, Shafiq, a bakery worker, reported her missing on August 10. Police registered a case under Sections 361 and 364-A of the Pakistan Penal Code and launched an investigation to trace the child.
A Special Investigation Team was subsequently formed, comprising senior officers including the SSP Investigation, DSP City, DSP Headquarters/Investigation, relevant SHOs and investigation officers. Female police officers and investigators were also included in the team.
Police also constituted a separate technical team to collect and analyse CCTV footage, call data records, geofencing information and other digital evidence. Investigators obtained footage from about 200 CCTV cameras and examined records linked to 20 suspected phone numbers.
Officials said footage from 12 cameras proved particularly useful in establishing the child’s movements after she left home and identifying suspects travelling on foot and by motorcycle.
The investigation led to the arrest of three suspects — Usman, Qasim and Talha — while police also recovered the motorcycle allegedly used in the crime.
Police said Usman confessed before a court to abducting and sexually assaulting the child, and his statement was formally recorded by the judge. Qasim and Talha were also produced before the court for physical remand.
Talha, due to his age, was sent to Haripur Central Jail on judicial remand, while Qasim was handed over to police for two days on physical remand.
Investigators later traced and arrested a fourth suspect, Hasan Khan. Acting on information provided by him, police located a deep, dry and overgrown well in a vacant plot near Link Road on University Road, close to a warehouse.
With the assistance of Rescue 1122, police recovered Ayat Noor’s body from the well. The recovery operation was supervised by the DPO and senior members of the Special Investigation Team.
The body was subsequently shifted to the Rescue 1122 Trauma Centre in Haripur, where doctors conducted a post-mortem examination. X-rays and samples for DNA, kidney, intestinal and other forensic examinations were collected and sent for analysis.
Gandapur said the investigation had been complicated by the fact that some suspects were underage and did not possess identity cards, making it difficult for police to directly trace SIM cards registered in their names.
Investigators instead examined the records of their family members and other suspected phone numbers as part of efforts to establish the suspects’ movements and connections.
Police also conducted extensive search operations during the investigation. At one stage, more than 400 police officers and personnel, assisted by TMA and WASA staff, were deployed in teams to search the area.
The search covered drains, sewerage lines, dense vegetation, areas surrounding the University of Haripur, the fertiliser factory grounds, Pathan Colony and adjoining areas, along with vacant plots and other deserted locations.
Police said further investigation into the case is under way.
