Journalist Tanveer Awan, in a post on X, has made serious allegations regarding the investigation into the Ayat Noor case. According to Awan, SP Samina Zafar allegedly made inappropriate and derogatory remarks to Ayat Noor’s mother and questioned her about her personal relationships.
Awan further alleged that Samina Zafar accused Ayat Noor’s mother of having an illicit relationship and claimed that this relationship was the reason Ayat Noor had been removed from her path.
The journalist also alleged that Nawaz, Ayat Noor’s maternal uncle’s brother-in-law, was taken into police custody for five to six days and subjected to severe torture. According to Awan, Nawaz remains physically affected by the alleged torture and is still unable to sit comfortably. The allegations made in the post have not been independently verified.
It is worth mentioning here that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi last week vowed to ensure exemplary punishment for those responsible for the alleged rape and murder of five-year-old Ayat Noor in Haripur.
Speaking to the media alongside the slain child’s family, the chief minister said the provincial government would take strict action against those involved in the case. He also announced that the upcoming Child Protection Bill would be named after Ayat Noor and would provide for tougher punishments in cases involving child abuse.
According to police, Ayat Noor’s father reported her missing on August 10. A case was subsequently registered under Sections 361 and 364-A of the Pakistan Penal Code, relating to kidnapping from lawful guardianship and the kidnapping or abduction of a child under the age of 14. Police said the child’s body was later recovered from an abandoned well following the arrest of four suspects on August 25.
Expressing his grief over the child’s death, Chief Minister Afridi assured the family that those responsible would face severe punishment and that justice would be delivered. “A child is meant to be loved,” the visibly emotional chief minister said, adding that the perpetrators would be punished and the family would receive justice.