Body of 15-year-old Pakistani hiker found on Islamabad’s Margalla Hills — police

In this file photograph, taken on July 1, 2022, Pakistani policemen patrol on horses along a street near Margalla Hill in Islamabad. (AN Photo/File)

• The boy had gone for a hike on Trail-5 along with six of his classmates at around 7am on Saturday but did not return
• Police say his body was found in a ditch on Margalla Hills, further investigation is underway to ascertain the cause

ISLAMABAD: The body of a 15-year-old boy, who had gone missing while hiking with friends last week, was found near a Margalla Hills hiking trail on Monday, the Islamabad police said.
The boy had gone for a hike on Trail-5 along with six of his classmates at around 7am on Saturday, but never made it back, according to a police report.
The mother of the young student tried to search him after one of his friends called her to inquire about his return on Saturday evening.
After trying to locate him for hours, the mother lodged a missing complaint with the police.
“After a long search operation, the body of the youth who went missing on Margalla trail was found in a dangerous ditch,” the Islamabad police said in a statement on Monday. “It seems that the boy lost his way and fell into the ditch.”
The deceased’s family was present on the site along with police officials and the search team, according to the statement.
“Further investigation is underway and post-mortem of the body will be conducted to cover all aspects,” it read.
The Pakistani capital of Islamabad has seven hiking trails that stretch several kilometers on the Margalla Hills, which are part of the Himalayan foothills and have an area of 12,605 hectares.
These trails are frequented by hundreds of people on a daily basis and are famous with picnickers.