LOWER DIR: A five-year-old girl, who went missing from Nagri Payeen village in Talash valley, still remains untraced, prompting local elders to convene a jirga to press for vigorous investigation.
The jirga attended by political elders, social activists and police officers here the other day voiced deep concern over the child, daughter of Musa Khan, who went missing a few days ago.
The speakers demanded of the investigators to deploy modern geo-fencing, monitor movement of nomadic settlements in the area, collect CCTV footage and swiftly pick up suspects for questioning.
Those who addressed the gathering included MPA Malik Shafiullah Khan, former tehsil nazim Riaz Mohammad advocate, DSP Fakhar Alam, Aftab Alam Khan, PPP’s former NA candidate Alam Zaib advocate, JUI-F activist Maulana Nabi Shah, Mohammad Yousaf advocate, former district councillor Malik Barkat Khan and others.
They said all the stakeholders must play an effective role to preserve public order in the area. The mysterious disappearance of the minor girl, they warned, was an alarming incident that warranted coordinated and organised measures to prevent recurrence.
DSP Fakhar Alam told the jirga that no negligence would be tolerated in this regard. He said, on the special directives of the DPO Lower Dir and the RPO Malakand, special teams under local SHO Naeem Khan had been formed and were working on different angles of the case.
He added that police were utilising all available resources, conducting search operations in mountainous pockets and keeping a strict watch on suspects. “We hope for a positive breakthrough soon,” he said.
Published in Dawn, October 21st, 2025.
