Traffic comes to a standstill on Garden-Nishtar Road as families, along with children, protest a year of police inaction, demanding justice and the safe return of Aliyan and Ali Raza. Photo: Jalal Qureshi/Express
KARACHI:
Residents and families of two missing children staged a protest on Garden-Nishtar Road on Wednesday, expressing frustration over a year of inaction in their disappearance case. The demonstration caused serious traffic disruptions in and around Garden, MA Jinnah Road.
The missing children, Aliyan, five, and Ali Raza, six, went missing from the Garden area on January 14, 2025. Despite repeated assurances from the police, no progress has been reported, leaving families and neighbors feeling ignored and desperate for answers.
During the protest, the children’s mothers were visibly distraught, calling for justice and the safe return of their children. Protesters blocked roads to highlight their grievances, demanding that authorities reactivate the investigation, deploy modern technology and all available resources, and hold those responsible for negligence accountable.
The protest caused long traffic jams, upsetting commuters and office-goers, while some traffic police officers attempted to divert vehicles to maintain some flow. After about an hour, conversations with police led protesters to reopen the road.
The families of the missing children said that even after a year, they are still anxiously awaiting justice and the safe return of Aliyan and Ali Raza, and their pain is compounded by a perceived lack of urgency on the part of the authorities.
