How to Report a Missing Person in Pakistan: Police, 1099 and ZARRA
Report a missing person in Pakistan: go to police at once, no 24 hour wait. For a child call 1099; police must tell ZARRA within 2 hours. Steps and rights.
If someone in your family is missing in Pakistan, go to the nearest police station now and ask for the report to be written down. For a child under 18, call 1099 as well. The law says police must record a missing child report at once, and tell the federal Zainab Alert agency, ZARRA, within two hours.
Do not wait 24 hours. That rule is a myth, and no law we read sets a waiting period. The first hours matter most, because the person may still be close by and the trail is fresh.
We read the Zainab Alert, Response and Recovery Act 2020 on the Pakistan Code, the Code of Criminal Procedure, and the missing persons and complaint pages of the Punjab and Islamabad police. This is what to do, in order.
Report a missing person at the police station first
The police station for the area where the person was last seen is the right first stop. Ask the officer in charge to write your report in the station register and give you a copy. For a child, also call the 1099 helpline. Take a recent photo with you.
In Islamabad, the police also take missing reports at Police Khidmat Markaz counters. Their lost and missing report page lists 11 centres, and two of them, Cascade in the Diplomatic Enclave and F-6, are open 24 hours. In Punjab, the Police Khidmat Markaz counters handle loss reports and crime reports. For an emergency anywhere, call 15.
Missing children: the Zainab Alert law gives you extra rights
For anyone under 18, the Zainab Alert Act 2020 applies across Pakistan. Police must write the report at once, the same way as a serious crime, and investigate. They must also inform ZARRA within two hours.
The Act is Act XV of 2020, passed in March 2020. In plain words:
- Section 8: when police hear that a child is missing, the officer in charge must write it down "in the same book and in the same manner" as a cognizable offence under section 154 of the Criminal Procedure Code. A cognizable offence is a serious crime that police can act on without a court order. In practice, this means a proper FIR (First Information Report) entry, not an informal note.
- Section 7: the police station must tell ZARRA about the case immediately, and no later than two hours after you complain. It must then update ZARRA every day.
- Section 9: a police officer who does not follow section 8 can be jailed for one to two years and fined Rs 50,000 to Rs 100,000.
- Runaways count too. The Act's definition of a missing child includes a runaway child, whatever the reason or however long ago the child went missing.
You can quote these sections at the station. Be polite and firm. Write down what you were told and by whom.
Call 1099 and use the Zainab Alert app for a child
The 1099 helpline of the Ministry of Human Rights is named in the Act as a number where anyone can report a missing child. The Ministry also runs the Zainab Alert app under its AWAZ app, on Android, iOS and the web.
The Ministry launched the Zainab Alert on the Pakistan Citizen Portal on 15 October 2020. Its ZARRA page now says the Zainab Alert app sits inside the AWAZ app and on the web at zarra.mohr.gov.pk. We opened that address on 1 October 2026 and it showed a sign-in page titled ZARRA Alert App.
Take these details with you to the police
The Schedule of the Zainab Alert Act lists what police should record. The same list works for an adult. Bring a recent photo, the clothes last worn, where and when the person was last seen, phone details, health problems and medicines, and names of friends.
| Detail | Why it helps |
|---|---|
| Recent clear photo | Used for alerts, checks and posters |
| Full name, nickname, date of birth, CNIC or B-Form | Lets police search records correctly |
| Height, build, hair, marks or scars | Helps identify the person quickly |
| Clothes and shoes last worn | The first thing people remember seeing |
| Time and place last seen, and who saw them | Where the search starts |
| Mobile number, phone make and network | Phone records can show movement |
| Medical conditions and medicines | Shows how urgent the search is |
| Friends, relatives and places they visit | The most common places a person turns up |
The Act also lists items such as a hairbrush or toothbrush, in case investigators need DNA later. Keep them unwashed.
Missing adults are reported the same way, without ZARRA
For an adult, there is no ZARRA and no two-hour rule. You still report at the police station, and police record it. If you think the person was taken by force or tricked, say so clearly, because kidnapping and abduction are crimes that need an FIR.
Punjab Police publishes quarterly lists of missing persons from its Investigation Branch, and a separate page of unidentified dead bodies, under Public Services on punjabpolice.gov.pk. The latest list we saw on 1 October 2026 was for April to June 2025.
If police will not record your report
Ask for the reason in writing, then complain. Use the IGP complaint line (1787 in Punjab, 1715 in Islamabad) or the Pakistan Citizen Portal. A Sessions Judge, acting as Justice of the Peace, can also order police to register a case.
That last route is in section 22-A(6) of the Code of Criminal Procedure. It lets an ex-officio Justice of the Peace give "appropriate directions" to police on a complaint about the "non-registration of a criminal case". Section 25 says Sessions Judges, and Additional Sessions Judges they nominate, are ex-officio Justices of the Peace for the district. A lawyer can file this application for you.
For a child, also tell 1099 that the police refused. Under section 7(3) of the Zainab Alert Act, ZARRA must contact the police station when it gets a direct complaint, including getting the complaint registered for you.
- Note the name and rank of the officer who refused, and the time.
- Call the IGP complaint line or use the Pakistan Citizen Portal the same day.
- For a child, call 1099 and say the police did not record the report.
- If nothing moves, ask a lawyer to apply to the Sessions Judge under section 22-A.
- Once the FIR is registered, you can check the FIR online with its number.
Common questions
Do I have to wait 24 hours before reporting a missing person in Pakistan?
No. No law we read sets a waiting period. For a child, the Zainab Alert Act says police must record the report at once and inform ZARRA within two hours.
What is the ZARRA helpline number?
1099. The Zainab Alert Act names it as the toll-free number for reporting a missing or abducted child. It is the Ministry of Human Rights helpline.
Can I report a missing person online?
For a child, yes, through the Zainab Alert app on the AWAZ app or zarra.mohr.gov.pk. For an adult, go to a police station or, in Islamabad, a Police Khidmat Markaz. In Punjab, women can also use the virtual women police station.
What happens if police refuse to register a missing child report?
Under section 9 of the Zainab Alert Act, an officer who does not record it can face one to two years in jail and a fine of up to Rs 100,000. Complain to 1099 and the IGP complaint line.
Does the Zainab Alert law cover teenagers who ran away?
Yes. The Act defines a missing child as anyone under 18 whose whereabouts are not known to parents or guardians, and it includes a runaway child whatever the reason.
Is there a fee to report a missing person?
No. Islamabad Police list its lost and missing reports as free. No law we read charges a fee for a missing person report.
How we verified this
What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.
Last checked on 1 October 2026. We read the Zainab Alert, Response and Recovery Act 2020 on the Pakistan Code, sections 3, 5, 7, 8, 9 and the Schedule, and sections 22-A, 25 and 154 of the Code of Criminal Procedure on the same site. We read the Ministry of Human Rights ZARRA page and its 2020 launch notice, and opened zarra.mohr.gov.pk. We read the Islamabad Police lost and missing report page and the Punjab Police missing persons page. We did not file a report or test the app, so how fast each office responds is not something we can confirm.
About the author
Tax, Bills and Technology Writer
Ali Akhtar is a young and curious voice here at Pakistan Era. He is currently pursuing his A-Levels and has a growing interest in Pakistan’s changing industrial landscape and educational trends. Ali likes to write in a way that helps him explain and explore the world around him. His writing reflects the perspective of the new generation navigating the evolving trends of Pakistan where technology, youth innovation, and shifting opportunities are reshaping the country’s future.
