Police have registered a kidnapping case after a day-long search failed to locate a six-year-old girl who went missing near Committee Chowk in Rawalpindi, shifting the investigation from a rescue operation to a criminal inquiry.
The girl, identified as Hareem Umair, disappeared on Thursday morning near Landa Bazaar, prompting an extensive search by Rescue 1122 and police.
According to officials, Hareem’s father, Umair Ahmed, had travelled from Lahore to Rawalpindi with his family to visit relatives. As the family prepared to return home, he realised his daughter was missing while helping his children into the car.
Initial concerns centred on the possibility that the child had been swept away by rainwater after heavy overnight rainfall caused Nullah Leh to overflow. Rescue teams searched more than four kilometres of the drain, covering both open and covered sections.
The operation involved 12 rescuers, two specialised water rescue teams, and five emergency vehicles.
After the search yielded no trace of the child, police registered a kidnapping case and launched a formal investigation into her disappearance. Authorities said efforts to locate Hareem are continuing.