KARACHI: The Sindh Home Department has instructed the Inspector General of Police and the Prosecutor General for the swift disposal of the Fatima Furiro murder case in Ranipur, district Khairpur, Sindh.

The case has attracted national and international attention, with implications for Pakistan’s global human rights rankings. Fatima Furiro, a nine-year-old maid, was found murdered in August 2023 at the haveli (residence) of Pir Asad Shah, a powerful and influential figure. The proceedings are currently underway in the Anti-Terrorism Court, Khairpur, with main accused Pir Asad Shah, his wife Hina Shah, father-in-law Fayaz Shah and Imtiaz Mirasi, an employee at a local hospital, facing charges.

The Sindh Home Department has directed the Inspector General of Police and the Prosecutor General, to instruct their subordinate officers to expedite the proceedings and conclude the case as quickly as possible. The urgency is partly due to the case’s inclusion in the Transparency International Pakistan report for 2024-2025 that assesses Pakistan’s human rights and gender-based violence performance. The government’s handling of the Fatima Furiro murder case will affect the country’s reputation concerning domestic servitude, child protection and violence against women.

The case is also under review by the FIA’s Anti-Human Trafficking Cell. The inclusion of this case in the FIA’s annual report highlights concerns about domestic servitude, child protection and gender-based violence. The FIA has asked the Sindh Home Department for recent updates on the legal proceedings, which will be included in FIA’s ‘Trafficking in Persons Report 2024-2025’.