June 20, 2025
By Kaleem Ullah
LAHORE
Mohammad Zaman has been severely distressed since some time. His home life is disturbed and it seems as if the entire family has suddenly been jolted out of its joyful existence and pushed deep within the pits of hell.
This abrupt change in their lives happened on June 16, Tuesday, when Zaman’s six year old niece Faiza was lured by two suspects, and sexually assaulted. She was found in an unconscious state. The incident took place in Dadu city area, in the Marakhpur locality.
“We were all walking down the road to attend a wedding,” said Zaman while speaking to Voicepk. “Faiza had been lagging behind everyone else and at some point she was left further behind. No one really noticed.” It must have been around 9 PM when they heard screams, which they realized belonged to Faiza. The family rushed out to search for her and found her lying unconscious in a desolate area located near the District Head Office (DHO).
Police case
According to the FIR filed by Zaman, the accused Zakir and Sono, grabbed the child and took her to a desolate area near the DHO office. It says the family caught the accomplices red handed while assaulting her.
“We saw the accused Zakir in the process of assaulting her, while his accomplice Sono was standing nearby, but after seeing us coming, both fled the scene,” the FIR states. The survivor regained consciousness after being brought at home, and told them about the accused, explaining that she was walking towards the wedding when they abducted her.
The FIR states that once the girl was found, she was quickly rushed to the B-Section police station, from where she was immediately transferred to the Dadu District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital for medical examination.
Another uncle of the survivor, Ramzan told Voicepk that they were a family of labourers, living on daily wages. He said that the girl’s mother was severely distressed, crying continuously since the incident whenever she saw her daughter.
“At first the accused party requested us to forgive them in the name of the Holy Quran,” he said. “When we refused to comply, they began threatening and pressuring us to withdraw the FIR. They warned us that if anything bad happened to us, only we would be responsible for it ourselves.”
Meanwhile the Dadu police spokesperson said that SSP Dadu Captain (R) Amir Saud Magsi took immediate notice and issued orders for legal action and protection for the affected child. Earlier, the SHO of B-Section Police Station, Benazir Jamali, who is also the in-charge of the Women and Child Protection Desk, visited the affected girl’s home to gather details about the incident and assured the family of justice.
The police further stated that the affected girl’s medical examination and other necessary procedures had been carried out, and the main accused, Zakir Ali Sehto had been arrested. However, the police said that investigation is ongoing.
Dangerous place for children
In yet another incident, Nadeemabad Police, Punjab, arrested a security guard on charges of attempting to assault a 7-year-old girl. Usman allegedly lured the girl while she was playing outside her house and took her to his office where he tried to assault her. The police have registered a case on the complaint by the victim’s mother.
Incidents like these underscore the growing vulnerabilities faced by underprivileged children in Pakistan, where poverty and lack of oversight expose them to trafficking, sexual violence, and exploitation. In 2024 alone, 5,253 cases of violence against women were reported, including 611 rapes, 119 gang rapes, and 32 cases involving rape-related pornography—a stark reflection of the deep-seated crisis of gender-based violence in the country.
Pakistan remains one of the most dangerous places in the world for women and children, with violence continuing at a disturbing rate. Crimes such as torture, murder, honor killings, suicide, and abduction reveal systemic issues that persist across society.