DUSHANBE, April 8, 2013, Asia-Plus -- A special investigation group has been ordered to carry out thorough search operation for missing Dushanbe cousins within a specific time period.

At an April 8 meeting of the Ministry of Interior (MoI), presided over by the Interior Minister Ramazon Rahimov, the focus was the search operation for missing Dushanbe girls – Malika Aralova, 6, and Sabina Aralova, 4.

According to the MoI’s website, the minister expressed dissatisfaction with ongoing search operation for the missing girls and ordered a special investigation group to carry out thorough search operation for missing Dushanbe cousins within a specific time period.  

Tajik police have denied rumors that missing Dushanbe cousins have been found dead.

The Ministry of Interior offers a reward for information about Malika Aralova and Sabina Aralova, who were reported missing on the evening of March 25.

The information about the missing girls may be provided via the Interior Ministry’s hotline 221-21-21 or by the following telephones: 223-23-31; 227-98-98; 221-08-30; and 227-00-57.

We will recall that Malika and Sabina have been missing since March 25.  The girls reportedly disappeared from the yard where they were playing and parents of both girls reported their missing to the police station in Dushanbe’s Shohmansour district on the same day.

Interior Minister Ramazon Rahimov has reportedly taken the search operation for the missing girls under his personal control.  On March 28, he issued an order to set up a special investigation group consisting of highly professional police officers.