LOWER DIR/MALAKAND: Two young girls drowned in a pond in the jurisdiction of Munda police station of Lower Dir district on Friday.

The deceased, aged eight and nine, were daughters of Ikramullah and Kamran Khan. According to local residents, the girls had gone to a nearby pond to wash clothes due to the lack of water at their home.

One of the girls slipped and fell into the pond, and the other drowned while trying to rescue her.

Sources said a gang of thieves had been targeting water pumps in the area, stealing them from wells during the night.

On Thursday night, the family’s pump was also stolen, leaving them without access to water.

The incident caused widespread grief and outrage in the community. Residents and the bereaved families called on the local police and administration to take immediate action against the culprits and ensure justice.

Meanwhile, body of a woman was recovered from Batkhela Canal in Malakand district on Friday.

According to a Levies Post Batkhela report, the body of an abandoned woman was found near the press club in the Upper Canal Swat Batkhela.

She was taken to the District Headquarters Hospital for postmortem, and when she could not be identified her pictures were shared on social media, after which the body was identified as wife of Firqullah, a resident of Lower Dir district.

Firqullah said his wife, 30, left her house early on Friday morning and later her body was found in Batkhela.

The police registered a report started a search.

Published in Dawn, May 17th, 2025