The rape and murder of an 18-month-old minor in Karachi’s Qayyumabad area on Wednesday triggered widespread outrage across Pakistan, with prominent public figures demanding immediate justice for the victim.
Police registered a FIR [First Information Report] based on the statement of the victim’s father. According to the complaint, a 17-year-old relative who lived with the family took the child out to buy food. The child was unconscious upon return.
The family transported the child to a private hospital before transferring her to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, where doctors pronounced her dead. Law enforcement officers arrested the 17-year-old suspect on charges of rape and murder.
The tragedy prompted strong reactions from members of the entertainment industry, who used their platforms to demand accountability.
Actor Sanam Baloch called the news “devastating” and stressed that the safety of the nation’s children remains paramount. Baloch stated, “I can’t even imagine the trauma this family must be going through,” adding that “justice must be served.”
Adnan Siddiqui expressed anger over the incident, noting the ages of both the victim and the suspect. Siddiqui called the reality horrifying, stating he felt “disgusted and heartbroken.”
He added, “There are no words left. Only rage, grief and shame that we have come to this,” while calling for “swift and uncompromising justice for the child and strength for her family.”
Ayesha Omar stated, “We are in the lowest of lows,” while insisting, “We cannot go on like this anymore.” She called for collective action to address the situation in the aftermath of the tragedy.
Ahsan Khan shared news of the incident on Instagram while tagging the Sindh government.
Aiman Khan posted the story on social media, writing, “What the hell is happening it’s time we start punishing this rapist.”
Srha Asghar wrote, “We ought to have some shame as another day brought with it another miserable story.” Zhalay Sarhadi pleaded for “God’s mercy in these times.”
