August 29, 2026
By Xari Jalil
LAHORE
Ayat Noor case update
Chief Minister Suhail Afridi has taken notice of the incident
Meanwhile, the Chief Minister KP, Sohail Afridi, after the passage of over two weeks, finally visited the bereaved family of Ayat Noor, the four year old who was sexually abused and murdered before being disposed of in a well, in the Haripur area of Hazara. The case garnered public anger and two weeks were spent searching for the child who had gone missing in the evening of August 10. CCTV later showed that at least four juveniles were responsible for luring her and raping her. The post mortem report had revealed that the child had died of excessive bleeding and shock. Currently the accused are in custody.
However not a single member of parliament, or political leader during all this time came down to see the grieving family.
وزیراعلیٰ سہیل آفریدی ہری پور آئے ۔ آیت نور کے گھر گئے ۔ والد کے گلے لگ کر رو پڑے ۔ ایک کروڑ روپے کا چیک اور سرکاری نوکری کا اعلان کیا ۔ مجرموں کو سخت ترین سزا دلانے کا اعلان بھی کیا ۔
لیکن وزیراعلیٰ سہیل آفریدی کو ہائیکورٹ کی سربراہی میں جوڈیشل کمیشن کا اعلان کرنا چاہیے تھا… pic.twitter.com/5LWv7Dletb
— Israr Ahmed Rajpoot (@ia_rajpoot) August 29, 2026
Chief Minister Khyber Pukhtunkhwa, Sohail Afridi expressed his condolence to Ayat Noor’s father and broke down in tears. He also announced a cheque of one million rupees and said a government job would be provided to him. He said that the culprits would be given the harshest punishment.
During the visit, the Chief Minister expressed his heartfelt condolences and solidarity with the bereaved family. Speaking on the occasion, he said those involved in such heinous crimes would face the strictest possible punishment, stressing that firm action was necessary to ensure that no one would.
KP journalist Israr Ahmed Rajpoot said that for the first time in history, it has happened that the suspects were arrested, confessed to the crime, but the girl still could not be recovered for several days. He said that a judicial commission should have been announced but was not.
“The statement of the girl’s father that the girl went missing on August 8, the report was filed on August 12. The police recorded the wrong date. These are the questions whose answers are essential. Ayat Noor’s father, Muhammad Shafiq, himself says that for the first ten to twelve days, the police took no practical action; if they had, perhaps the girl would be alive today. ”
پولیس کی جانب سے آیت نور کے والد کو ہراساں کرنے اور دباؤ ڈالنے کا معاملہ سامنے آگیا۔
آیت نور کے والد محمد شفیق نے میڈیا کو انٹرویو دیتے ہوئے بتایا کہ جب انہوں نے رپورٹ درج کرائی تو پولیس بچی کو تلاش کرنے کے بجائے ان کو ہراساں کرتی رہی
پولیس نے کہا کہ آپ پہلے بھی شادی شدہ تھے… pic.twitter.com/6zTpyNOmfJ
— Tanveer Awan (@hTanveerAwan) August 29, 2026
4 arrested for sexual abuse of minor boy
Meanwhile, law enforcement authorities in Gilgit-Baltistan have arrested four suspects following the recovery of a missing minor who was allegedly abducted and sexually assaulted at a local hotel in Aliabad, Hunza. The minor, a resident of Hassanabad in Hunza, was reported missing from his home on August 24, 2026.
Following an intensive search, police located and recovered the boy yesterday from the Rustam Palace Hotel in Aliabad. He was immediately brought to the Aliabad Police Station, where police initiated initial investigations and arranged for formal procedures.
According to a spokesperson for the Gilgit-Baltistan Police, preliminary inquiries led to the registration of FIR No. 39/2026 against four individuals allegedly involved in the crime.
The arrested suspects include two locals from Murtazabad, identified as Sami Abbas (son of Ghulam Murtaza) and Sardar Hussain (son of Musa Khan), as well as two residents of Basin, Gilgit, identified as Abdul Kalam (son of Abdul Hanan) and Zameer (son of Shah Jahan). Police have booked all four suspects under Sections 342 (wrongful confinement), 365 (kidnapping or abduction), 377 (unnatural offences/sexual assault), and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code.
All four individuals are currently in police custody as investigators collect forensic and medical evidence to complete the investigation.
Response by the family of accused
Following the arrests, the father of one of the suspects from Murtazabad addressed local media and community elders regarding the allegations against his son. Expressing deep distress over the incident, the suspect’s father stated that he would not offer unconditional protection or backing to anyone accused of such a grave offense. He emphasized that the law must take its full course and urged authorities to conduct a transparent, evidence-based investigation.
“If the allegations are proven true in a court of law, justice must be served without partiality,” he said, while also appealing to the public and social media users to refrain from extrajudicial condemnation or targeting the broader families of the accused before formal legal outcomes are established.
گلگت بلتستان ہنزہ زیادتی کیس میں ملزم کے والد نے اپنے ہی بیٹے کو پھانسی دینے کی پیشکش کی۔ ایسے والد کو سلام، جس نے بیٹے کی محبت سے بڑھ کر انصاف اور حق کا ساتھ دینے کو ترجیح دی۔
کاش پاکستان میں ہر ملزم کے والدین اپنے بچوں کو بچانے کے بجائے حق اور انصاف کا ساتھ دیں، تو شاید معاشرے… pic.twitter.com/2Re9kjwZrU
— Gilgit Baltistan Tourism. (@GBTourism_) August 27, 2026
In compliance with national child protection laws and international journalistic standards, the name, exact age, and identifying details of the victim have been withheld to protect the minor from further distress and social stigma.
Child protection laws
Gilgit-Baltistan has the Child Protection Response Act 2017, which provides for a Child Protection Commission and structured responses to violence, sexual abuse, and maltreatment.
The commission remained largely non-functional for years due to funding shortfalls and limited political priority, according to reports. A meeting in January 2026 approved certain operational measures and training plans, but functional district-level child protection units capable of providing rapid responses are still not in place across the region.
Other laws prohibit corporal punishment and restrict the employment of children under the age of 14.
Child rights activists say the core problem is enforcement rather than the absence of legislation. They call for child-friendly reporting mechanisms in every district so that children can report abuse without fear of stigma or retaliation.