A 7-year-old girl named Muntaha was killed on Monday, June 22, after visiting a grocery store in Block 8, Sargodha, Pakistan.
According to police reports, Muntaha went to a local kiryana shop in Karkhana Bazaar between 10:00 and 11:00 a.m. CCTV footage showed her entering the store, but she was not seen leaving. When she did not return home, her family filed a missing person report with the police.
Officers searched the shop and found the girl’s body in the staff living quarters on the upper floor. Medical examiners reported signs of physical violence and suspected sexual assault. The postmortem examination is still pending.
Police arrested the main suspect, Arslan, who had worked at the shop for two years. Several other individuals were also taken into custody for questioning.
The case has drawn comparisons to the 2018 murder of Zainab Ansari in Kasur. Social media users and local residents are calling for stronger child protection laws, faster legal action, and better enforcement of safety measures for children.
Authorities say the investigation is ongoing and more details will be shared after forensic results are received.
