Lost at 10 in Islamabad, found at 27: How AI technology traced a missing girl’s family after 17 years

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A Pakistani woman who went missing as a child has been reunited with her family after 17 years, thanks to facial recognition software and AI technology.

Kiran, who uses only one name, was just 10 years old when she got lost in Islamabad in 2008. She had stepped out to buy ice cream but could not find her way back home and did not remember her address.

“I was lost and crying. I remember a kind woman took me to the Edhi Centre in Islamabad as I couldn’t remember anything," Kiran, now 27, recalled.

From Islamabad, she was taken to Karachi by Bilquis Edhi, the wife of the late Abdul Sattar Edhi. Kiran was then raised at the Abdul Sattar Edhi Shelter Home, where she stayed for years.

The Edhi Foundation made several attempts to find her family. These included trips to Islamabad and outreach efforts, but none were successful. Earlier this year, the foundation sought help from Nabeel Ahmed, a cybersecurity expert with the Safe City Project in Punjab.

“We provided him with the latest photographs of Kiran and also whatever little information she could provide of her childhood and neighbourhood," said Sabah Faisal Edhi, wife of the foundation’s current chairperson.

Using facial recognition and AI tracking, Ahmed matched Kiran’s details with a missing persons report from 2008. This led authorities to her family, and her father, Abdul Majeed, was contacted in Karachi.

Majeed, who works as a tailor, said the family had searched for Kiran for years. “We even published her photo in some newspapers, but no one came forward (to find Kiran)."

He said he had lost all hope of ever seeing his daughter again until officials reached out to him. “He had lost all hope of ever seeing his daughter again when officials from the Safe City Project in Punjab contacted him saying they had traced his missing daughter."

Kiran described the reunion as emotional and said she remained thankful to the people who raised her. “I am sad to leave the Edhi family, but I will always be grateful to Bilquis apa and her family for taking such good care of me."