Sargodha Tragedy: The Post-Mortem Report of Muntaha Zahra ۔۔۔ Heartbreaking, Shameful, and Soul-Crushing

By Muhammad Mansoor Mumtaz

Every word of this report makes me see the blood flowing through Muntaha’s veins, her broken bones, her battered body, her silent suffering, her painful sighs, and the unheard cries of an innocent little girl.
Victim Information
Name: Muntaha Zahra
Age: 8 years
Gender: Female
Hospital: DHQ Hospital, Sargodha
Post-Mortem No.: 67/26
Time of Death: Approximately 12:00 p.m., June 22, 2026
Body Received at Mortuary: 4:30 p.m.
Post-Mortem Commenced: 8:00 p.m.
The body was presented for autopsy after formal identification by the police.
External Examination
According to the medical examiner:
The child was lying on her back.
Her eyes were closed.
Her tongue was protruding from her mouth.
Her face was stained with blood.
Clotted blood was present in both nostrils.
Early post-mortem rigidity (Rigor Mortis) had begun.
Clothing
The child was wearing a yellow floral shalwar kameez.
The clothes were torn.
Blood stains were present on the clothing.
Fecal matter was found on the shalwar.
Examination of the Neck
This is the most disturbing part of the report.
According to the doctor:
A deep incised wound measuring approximately 7.2 cm was present on the front and left side of the neck.
The wound was so deep that the underlying cartilage was visible.
The left carotid artery had been completely severed.
Such an injury causes massive bleeding and leaves very little chance of survival.
Head and Facial Injuries
The report documents four major injuries:
Severe swelling and bruising measuring approximately 9 × 8 cm on the right side of the head.
Examination of the skull revealed multiple fractures.
The brain had sustained severe trauma.
Blood had accumulated around the brain.
These findings indicate that the head was struck with extreme force.
A deep incised wound measuring approximately 5 × 1.5 cm was present beneath the chin, exposing the underlying bone.
Severe swelling, bruising, and multiple abrasions were noted on the left side of the face.
Brain and Spinal Cord
The doctor recorded:
Severe head trauma.
Skull fractures.
Brain injuries.
Damage to the protective membranes surrounding the brain.
The spinal cord, however, appeared normal.
Internal Organs
The following organs were reported as normal:
Stomach
Pancreas
Intestines
Liver
Spleen
Both kidneys
Urinary bladder
No significant injuries were reported in these organs.
Genital Examination
The report states:
The hymen was torn.
Swelling of the vaginal area was present.
Redness was observed.
Clotted blood was found internally.
Blood stains were present on the shalwar.
Fecal matter was also present on the clothing.
Forensic Samples
The medical team collected:
External vaginal swab
Internal vaginal swab
These samples were sent to the Punjab Forensic Science Agency (PFSA), Lahore, for DNA analysis and other forensic examinations.
Recorded Injuries
Injury No. 1: Deep incised wound to the neck.
Injury No. 2: Severe blunt-force injury to the head above the right eye.
Injury No. 3: Deep incised wound beneath the chin.
Injury No. 4: Swelling and multiple abrasions on the left side of the face and neck.
Summary of the Report
According to the post-mortem findings:
A deep, fatal wound was inflicted on the neck.
Severe blunt-force trauma fractured the skull and injured the brain.
Multiple injuries and abrasions were found on the face.
The report also documents swelling, redness, internal bleeding, and a torn hymen.
This post-mortem report is heartbreaking, deeply disturbing, and profoundly shameful.
Some people may object to describing or sharing its contents, but I have no hesitation.
My only purpose is to help people understand that this was not an ordinary incident or accident. It was a tragedy that shook the human soul, wounded our collective conscience, and disgraced humanity.
Every line of this report makes me picture Muntaha’s blood, her broken bones, her battered body, her silent agony, her desperate cries, and the unheard plea of an innocent child. These thoughts do not allow me to sit peacefully or sleep at night.
I firmly believe that anyone who reads or hears this report with an open heart cannot remain emotionally untouched if even a trace of humanity still exists within them.
Therefore, do not merely express sorrow. Write about this tragedy. Speak about it. Raise your voice. Ask difficult questions. Fulfil your responsibility.
The purpose of sharing this report is not to hurt anyone’s feelings, but to awaken the conscience of our society, so that together we pledge never to allow such brutality against another innocent child.
If parents remain vigilant, teachers fulfil their responsibilities, citizens report suspicious behaviour, law enforcement acts promptly, courts deliver timely justice, and society stands united against violence, such tragedies can be prevented.
Let us all pledge today that we will not remain silent spectators. We will fulfil our individual and collective responsibilities so that no other innocent child has to suffer such unimaginable cruelty.
Finally, one prayer…
O Allah, may no doctor ever again be forced to write a post-mortem report like this for another innocent child like Muntaha, and may none of us ever have to read such a report again.
Whether that child is Muslim, non-Muslim, or even the child of our enemy…
Every innocent life is sacred in Your sight.
Ameen, O Lord of the Worlds.