A little over a week ago, a girl from Rawalpindi went missing. Many people shared her pictures and spread the word far and wide. It seemed that things looked dire.

The missing 7-year-old girl, Zarnish Naveed — who had been kidnapped from Rawalpindi — has been found and returned to her family.

According to the police Zarnish was recovered from the kidnappers after paying a ransom of Rs. 1.5 million.

The Background

Zarnish was abducted on 27th of July from Bahria Town, Rawalpindi, by two unidentified men on a motorcycle in the vicinity of her house. They kidnapped her two hours before midnight.

Her parents heard the screams of Zarnish and chased the abductors on foot. However they failed to keep up as the kidnappers’ bike sped away.

Her family, worried for Zarnish’s life, turned to social media. Many people shared this news which eventually spread like a wildfire. Almost every Pakistani knew the plight of poor Zarnish.

Various celebrities and social media activists joined the cause to find Zarnish as well:

https://twitter.com/MawraHocane/status/891967673487249408

https://twitter.com/sharmeenochinoy/status/891316721482596352

The Efforts Paid Off

This case is similar to the case of Khadija who was stabbed 23 times by a man. Social media paid a huge role in catching the man responsible for the heinous crime. The culprit was jailed for 7 years recently as a result.

Coming back to Zarnish Naveed’s story, it seems that she was recovered last night.

Her uncle posted this last night, much to the delight of Pakistanis from all walks of life:

This has been a remarkable achievement and everyone who was involved in getting the word out should be proud of themselves for contributing and making the world a safer place for the 7-year-old.

We’re delighted to hear this news and hope that social media continues to play its role where necessary. As for Zarnish and her parents, we are relieved that they are reunited.