Lost at 10, found at 27: How Islamabad girl reunites with family after 17 years

Dubai: A long and emotional wait came to an end when 27-year-old Kiran, who went missing from Islamabad as a young girl, was reunited with her parents in Karachi after 17 years.

She was traced at an Edhi Centre, with her identification made possible through support from Punjab Safe City authorities.

According to Edhi officials, Kiran was handed over to her father after her details matched records maintained through the Safe City system. She told officials that she had left home to buy ice cream when she lost her way and was later shifted to an Edhi Centre in Islamabad by an unidentified individual.

She was eventually brought to Karachi by the late Bilquis Edhi and remained under the care of the Edhi Foundation. During her stay, she received both religious and formal education, describing her time at the centre as “very pleasant”. But meeting her parents, she said, was “the most important day of my life”, Geo News reported.

Edhi Centre in-charge Shabana Faisal said Kiran had been sent to Islamabad several times in attempts to locate her family, but no breakthrough had been found until now. She added that in recent weeks, 12 missing children nationwide have been reunited with their families, including five girls from Karachi.

The news of Kiran’s reunion sparked an emotional reaction online, with many praising the Edhi Foundation’s tireless efforts.

The deeply moving reunion unfolded after Kiran’s father travelled to Karachi upon the confirmation of her identity. He expressed profound gratitude to the Edhi Foundation for providing his daughter shelter, education, and care for nearly two decades.

Kiran’s case once again highlights the vital role played by the Edhi Foundation in supporting missing, abandoned, and vulnerable individuals. The successful reunion underscores the importance of coordinated systems, compassionate outreach, and the organisation’s unwavering humanitarian mission that continues to change lives across Pakistan.

The Edhi Foundation, Pakistan’s largest humanitarian organisation, operates a nationwide network of shelter homes, ambulance services, and child protection centres. Founded by the late Abdul Sattar Edhi and later led by Bilquis Edhi, the organisation has long served as a safe haven for abandoned, lost, or vulnerable individuals. Edhi Centres frequently take in unidentified children, provide them with shelter, education, and healthcare, and work with government agencies to help reunite them with their families. Their decades-long record of public service has made Edhi a trusted institution and one of the most respected humanitarian networks in the country.