“Priya Kumari is alive, and we have evidence.” These words were quoted to Sindh Home Minister Zia Lanjar on July 20, 2024, during a meeting with parents and civil society representatives at CM House in Karachi. The meeting was held after the civil society’s protest in Karachi, and the government was forced to give assurance to the family of the abducted girls.
Today is 16th January 2024, and the police have still failed to recover the Hindu girl from the captivity of some “influential” landlords of upper Sindh. Parents are allegedly under pressure from the police and often harassed and asked by the administration not to raise voices, but it is the civil society that has kept the issue alive on social media.
However, civil society is not very influential and has many other matters to tackle, so Prya Kumari’s issue is sometimes forgotten by the fledgeling and vulnerable civil society of Sindh.
Priya Kumari Case: A challenge to Sindh Police
The mysterious vanishing of Priya Kumari, a nine-year-old girl, occurred during the Ashura on August 19, 2021, at Sangrar village in Sukkur district. Moments before she went missing, she had been cheerfully assisting her father in distributing sherbet to passing mourners. Her father, a Hindu, maintains a traditional water station (Sabeel) each year during Muharram in Sangrar, a small town in the vicinity of Sukkur.
The circumstances of her disappearance are particularly puzzling. Despite hundreds of people at the scene, the police investigation yielded remarkably little evidence and reportedly failed to locate any witnesses. The incident is especially notable as it intersects with multiple societal fault lines, including religious differences, gender issues, class divisions, and concerns about abuse.
During discussions held at the Chief Minister House, the so-called Joint Investigation Team (JIT) presented its investigation update. The home minister said the government has fixed a reward money for any information leading to Priya’s location would be doubled from 5 million rupees to 10 million rupees. However, when questioned about a timeline for finding Priya, the JIT was unable to provide any definitive commitment.
Priya’s parents demanded both a specific deadline for their daughter’s recovery and complete transparency in the investigation process. Despite their efforts, the home minister declined to provide any written confirmation of receiving their application.
Civil Society’s role in Priya Kumari case
At a recent meeting held on January 15 at the National Commission for Human Rights office in Karachi, civil society members and human rights defenders gathered to discuss the prolonged investigation and push for renewed action.
The meeting, jointly organised by the Sindh Human Rights Defenders Network and Action Committee for Priya Kumari’s recovery, brought together prominent advocates and activists, including Ali Palh, Shazia Nizamani, Sanrang Joyo, Shujauddin Qureshi Paryal Mari, Imdad Chadio, Marvi Awan, Fakhar Alam, advocate Sattar Zangejo, Mahesh Kumar, Liaqat Jalbani, Akram Khaskheli, Sohni Paras, and several others. Their primary focus was the disturbing lack of progress in finding Priya and the failure of the Sindh police to trace her.
Ali Palh, advocate, informed the meeting that police is not showing any activity in order to recover the girl. Some local elements spread rumours about the girl. There is the latest rumour that the abductors are waiting for the girl to become 18 years old so they can produce her in court and declare that she has been converted or got married on her “own will. “They would like to prove it a forced conversion case,” remarked another participant.
Despite the registration of a case against unidentified individuals and the formation of a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) under public pressure, the investigation has faced significant setbacks. The JIT’s leader, former DIG Mirpurkhas Javed Jiskani, has been suspended due to his involvement in an unrelated case involving Dr Shahnawaz Kunbhar, effectively bringing the investigation to a standstill with no new team head appointed.
The activists at Wednesday’s meeting emphasised the critical need for involvement from both the National Child Rights Commission and Sindh Child Protection Committees, given the serious nature of this child rights violation. In response to the ongoing challenges, the group has planned several strategic actions, including organising a press conference and seminar at the Karachi Press Club, where Priya’s family will share their ordeal and Home Minister Zia Lanjar will be invited to provide updates.
Furthermore, the activists plan to escalate the matter by sending a letter to Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and filing a writ petition either in the Sindh High Court or Supreme Court. The Sindh Human Rights Defenders Network’s commitment to pursuing legal channels demonstrates its determination to maintain pressure on authorities and ensure this case receives the attention it deserves.
This renewed push by civil society members and human rights defenders sends a clear message: Priya Kumari’s case will not be forgotten, and the fight for her safe return continues. The meeting serves as a testament to their unwavering commitment to seeking justice and holding authorities accountable for their promises and responsibilities in this deeply troubling case.