Karachi family appeals for justice after burglary wipes out daughter’s wedding dowry

A family in North Karachi has appealed for justice after burglars allegedly stole cash, gold jewellery and wedding belongings worth hundreds of thousands of rupees, leaving them struggling to proceed with their daughter's wedding, which is scheduled to take place in three months.

Abdul Khaliq told Dialogue Pakistan that the family had spent months preparing for the wedding and had already purchased bridal dresses, clothing, jewellery and other essential items. Gold jewellery belonging to his late mother, which had been kept in a locker, was also stolen during the incident.

The stolen items include PKR 450,000 in cash, a gold pendant, a ring, a pair of earrings and a gold jewellery set. Wedding clothes, imitation jewellery, children's clothing and several household items, including perfumes, electric fans, a wall clock and a mobile phone, were also taken.

The burglary occurred while the family was away on a picnic to the Thatta and Keenjhar Lake area.

According to Abdul Khaliq, they left on Saturday morning and were informed of the incident while returning home after receiving a phone call from fellow residents of their apartment building.

Family members who arrived at the flat before the victims said they did not enter the property but looked through the door and saw that the rooms had been completely ransacked, with belongings scattered across the floor.

Residents subsequently informed the apartment management and the residents' union.

Upon returning home, the family found that every room had been searched, with drawers and lockers forced open. Abdul Khaliq believes the suspect remained inside the flat for more than an hour, systematically searching the property before leaving with valuables.

He claimed that even cash stored inside pouches in children's school bags had been stolen.

The family later reviewed CCTV footage obtained from the apartment building, which allegedly shows a suspect leaving the premises carrying stolen items.

Abdul Khaliq believes the burglary may have involved assistance from someone familiar with the building, although no evidence has been presented to identify any accomplice.

He said the stolen cash had been accumulated through personal savings, committee contributions and loans from relatives and acquaintances to cover wedding expenses, including furniture and other household necessities. He added that the money had been kept at home because further purchases were planned in the weeks leading up to the wedding.

Abdul Khaliq also stated that an advance payment had already been made to book the wedding hall.

However, he alleged that when the family approached police to register a First Information Report (FIR), they were asked to provide purchase receipts and the weight of the stolen gold jewellery before the case could be registered.

The family has appealed to law enforcement authorities to identify and arrest those responsible and recover the stolen cash and valuables so that the wedding can proceed as planned.