In a startling revelation, the skeletal remains of a woman who vanished nearly three decades ago were uncovered during excavation work in Orangi Town, Karachi. The discovery took place in Gulshan-e-Bahar, where laborers were deepening a water tank at a residence in Arkania Colony, Street No. 14.
The house had been acquired five years earlier by a man named Yousuf from the previous owner, Fareed. Months into renovation and construction, workers unearthed human bones buried a few feet underground. Alongside the remains, a pink dupatta, slippers, and fragments of clothing were found, sparking alarm throughout the neighborhood as news quickly spread.
The remains are believed to be those of Mumtaz Begum, who mysteriously disappeared in 1995. For years, her children were told she had left the family to be with another man. However, the recent discovery at the same house where she once lived has cast doubt on that narrative.
Upon hearing the news, Mumtaz’s three children—Shah Jahan, Ramzan, and Asma—rushed to the site. They were heartbroken after recognizing the dupatta, slippers, and clothing as their mother’s. Asma, who was only four years old when her mother vanished, recalled coming home from madrassa to find her mother missing. Their stepfather, Fareed Alam, had maintained that she left voluntarily, a story the family accepted for many years.
In a significant development, a murder case has now been filed against Fareed Alam following a complaint lodged by Asma. The siblings allege that their stepfather frequently quarreled with their mother and subjected her to severe abuse prior to her disappearance. They further accuse him of possibly killing her to gain control over her jewelry and property.
Fareed Alam has reportedly secured pre-arrest bail. Meanwhile, the siblings continue to demand justice, questioning why their innocent mother was buried in silence for thirty years and calling for accountability in this long-overdue case.
