An 11-year-old abducted girl was recovered during a joint police and Rangers operation in Shikarpur’s riverine belt on Saturday, in a case that had escalated into a national flashpoint following parliamentary concern and threats of an armed march by members of the Pakhtun community.

Shikarpur SSP Muhammad Kaleem Malik told a press conference that the rescue of Hooram Saeed Khan took place on the second day of an operation in Kot Shahu. He said security forces also recovered another captive, Jeniffer Amir Masih, a young woman allegedly lured from Lahore under the pretext of employment and later held hostage.

The SSP claimed that suspected bandit Ghulam Yaseen Banglani, wanted in 29 cases with a head money on him, was killed on the first day of the operation. He added that another alleged facilitator, Mullah Waheed Arain – accused of kidnapping individuals from other provinces and selling them to riverine bandits – was also killed on the second day of the operation.

According to Malik, around 15 suspected dacoits were injured during the two-day action, while two key figures of the riverine gangs, Aashiq Jatoi and Ali Gohar Jatoi, remain at large.

Police said Hooram’s kidnapping was initially registered at Mominabad police station in Karachi on April 8. However, her father later approached Shikarpur police after her suspected location was traced to Kot Shahu.

The case had gained national attention after members of the Pakhtun community reportedly shared videos threatening a march towards the riverine region, prompting intensified law enforcement action. The girl’s father, Saeed Khan, while speaking to reporters, credited the mobilisation and public pressure more than the police for his daughter’s recovery.