Deck: In October 2022, a nine- to ten-year-old girl named Nighat, also known as Husna, became the victim of a horrific crime.
She was a child from a family displaced by the floods of 2022, living on a footpath in Karachi with her mother and siblings. Her father had passed away, leaving her mother as the sole caretaker of the family. The children would accompany their mother to nearby markets to beg for food and money.
What followed would become a case that took years to reach its conclusion — and one that demonstrates why persistence, evidence and people willing to stand up for the vulnerable matter.
A Child, a Family and an Ordinary Sunday
On Sunday, 23 October 2022, between approximately 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m., Nighat was standing near Imtiaz Supermarket, adjacent to Super Star Clifton, when she was approached by a man who offered to buy her raashon — food supplies.
Believing that he intended to help her, she accompanied him and entered a vehicle in which another man was already present.
According to the prosecution’s case, the two men subsequently took the child to a secluded location, where she was sexually assaulted before being dropped near the place from which she had initially been taken.
The distance between where she was dropped and the footpath where her family was living was approximately 1.6 kilometres.
Nighat, physically weakened and distressed, walked the entire distance barefoot before reaching her family.
Her mother immediately realised that something was wrong. Nighat told her what had happened and was taken to hospital. She remained unconscious for approximately seven hours before being medically examined.
The Medico-Legal Officer informed the police of the incident, and following the recording of statements, including those of Nighat and her mother, a First Information Report was registered against two unknown persons.
At that point, there were no names.
There was only a child, her account, and a crime that needed to be investigated.
Following the Evidence
The investigation led by DSP Fehmida Abbasi and other police officials subsequently obtained CCTV footage from Imtiaz Supermarket.
The footage showed the vehicle and Nighat entering it.
The registration number was traced. The vehicle’s owner was contacted and disclosed that the vehicle had been provided to Careem Car Services under a contractual arrangement. Following an official inquiry, Careem disclosed that the vehicle had been assigned to Ghulam Rasool.
He was arrested in Karachi’s Defence area.
The investigation subsequently led to the arrest of Muhammad Khalid Hussain Lund from Tando Allahyar.
Both accused were later produced before the competent court for an identification parade, where Nighat identified both men.
But the case did not rest on identification alone.
The Evidence That Followed
The prosecution presented ocular, medical and scientific/forensic evidence.
Medical evidence was presented regarding the injuries and findings observed during Nighat’s examination.
The forensic evidence became particularly significant.
DNA material attributable to the accused was found on stained portions of the victim’s shalwar, with analysis including epithelial and seminal fractions.
There was further forensic evidence connecting Nighat to the vehicle.
During the examination of Arslan Akbar, a member of the Crime Scene Unit who had participated in the seizure and examination of the vehicle, evidence was presented regarding a blood swab recovered from the rear seat.
The DNA profile obtained from that swab matched the victim’s DNA.
The prosecution’s case therefore brought together the child’s testimony, medical findings, identification evidence, CCTV footage, the tracing and examination of the vehicle, and DNA evidence.
Piece by piece, the evidence was placed before the court.
The People Who Stood Beside Her
The legal representation in a case such as this matters.
The complainant was represented by Zahrah Sehr Vayani & Associates, with Barrister Zahrah Sehr Vayani and Advocate Rameez Lalani appearing for the complainant.
The State was represented by Ms. Irfana Qadri, Special Public Prosecutor (SPP).
Their role deserves recognition.
In cases involving vulnerable children — particularly children from families without financial security, social influence or access to power — having lawyers who are willing to stand beside the complainant and pursue the case through the legal process is profoundly important.
Justice is not only about having laws on the books. It is also about having people willing to invoke those laws, present the evidence, challenge the defence and remain committed to a case until the court reaches its decision.
And in Pakistan, where women’s and children’s rights can too often remain unprotected, underreported or insufficiently pursued, that commitment matters.
This is not simply about one conviction.
It is about what happens when a vulnerable child is believed, when her case is investigated, when evidence is followed, when lawyers take up the responsibility of representing her, and when the legal system is given the opportunity to do what it is meant to do.
The Judgment
After considering the evidence on record, the learned Additional Sessions Judge, through judgment dated 10 August 2026, convicted both accused under the provisions set out in the judgment, including Section 364-A read with Section 34 of the Pakistan Penal Code and Section 375-A, along with the order made under Section 544-A CrPC.
Both accused were sentenced to imprisonment for life and were ordered to pay a collective fine of Rs. 1.4 million — Rs. 700,000 each.
The judgment marks the conclusion of a case that began with two unidentified suspects and an extremely vulnerable child, and proceeded through investigation, CCTV footage, vehicle tracing, arrests, identification, medical examination and forensic DNA evidence.
Why This Case Matters
Nighat was a child.
She was displaced by floods. She was living without a home. She came from a family struggling simply to survive.
None of those circumstances should make her rights worth less.
If anything, they should make our responsibility to protect her greater.
Keeping children safe cannot be the responsibility of parents alone. It belongs to all of us — families, schools, communities, law enforcement, lawyers, courts, governments and society as a whole.
And when a child is harmed, justice cannot depend on whether her family has money, influence or connections.
It has to depend on the strength of the law and our willingness to ensure that the law is actually applied.
The Nighat case is therefore worth remembering not only because of its outcome, but because of the work that made that outcome possible.
To the investigators who followed the evidence.To the prosecutors who carried the case forward.To Barrister Zahrah Sehr Vayani and Advocate Rameez Lalani, who represented the complainant.And to Ms. Irfana Qadri, SPP, who represented the State.
There is no victory in what happened to Nighat. A child should never have had to experience such trauma in the first place.
But there is value in recognising what happens when people refuse to look away.
When we stand up for one vulnerable child, we send a message to every other child that their safety matters, their voice matters and their rights matter.
Our children deserve nothing less.
