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Inspector Sabiha, a prequel to the miniseries Gunah, delves into the backstory of Sabiha Shah, a police officer investigating a missing persons case in the fictional town of Malikabad. Written and directed by Adnan Sarwar and aired on Express TV, Inspector Sabiha follows Sabiha’s journey from a police recruit to a determined officer. While aiming to explore her motivations and origins, the show grapples with the challenge of condensing a complex narrative into its six-episode format.

Rabia Butt shines in the role of Sabiha, a new recruit in the police force driven by the personal tragedy of her father’s death in the line of duty with circumstances surrounding his murder muddied, if not downright unsavoury. After the death of Inspector Saeed Shah, portrayed by Sohail Sameer, Sabiha and her younger brother are raised by their mother, played by Iffat Omar, who has been battling her own lifelong demons.

The series opens with Sabiha training with fellow recruits in a simulation exercise, with the cohort also examining the case of a female child who went missing from Kasur and was later found dead in a nearby field. Sabiha’s mentor at the police academy, portrayed by Saad Zameer Faridi, delivers a memorable performance despite limited screen time. Faridi is a talent to watch out for, with memorable performances in Working Women and Mayi Ri.

Sabiha’s immediate backstory is compelling — she is a single mother navigating life post-divorce. Her daughter Ayeza, whom she lovingly calls Azoo, lives with her, with the child’s father meeting the daughter every now and then. Aside from normalising divorce when a marriage isn’t working, the drama does an excellent service of starting a conversation around mental health, perhaps a topic that’s even more taboo in society than divorce. Sabiha is shown to be seeing a therapist, portrayed by Samiya Mumtaz, who helps her navigate through her early childhood trauma as well as the more recent challenges in her life.

Unable to reconcile with the idea that her father was involved in activities at cross purposes with the police department, Sabiha wants to get to the bottom of what really happened. With little information available to her and her family since Saeed Shah’s death, she wants to find out the details, clinging on to the hope that maybe, just maybe, it’s not what she and the family have been told by her uncle — now DIG Akbar (portrayed by Ehteshamuddin) — who was also her father’s friend, with the two serving in the police together.

Sabiha’s quest to uncover the truth about her father’s death ultimately makes for the central story of this prequel. As her training concludes, Sabiha makes ASP and manages to access her father’s police records with the help of an archivist. The records confirm what the family was told by police officials as well as by Akbar Uncle. Sabiha appears to have accepted the contents of the inquiry report on her father until Faridi nudges her into looking beyond and digging deeper. He also becomes the one to provide Sabiha with the initial crumbs that ultimately lead her to uncovering crucial information that challenges the established narrative.

While the overall story is excellent, the series falters in its execution. The plot feels rushed and underdeveloped, with the six-episode format proving insufficient to fully explore the intricate storyline. The hurried pacing leaves little room for character development and narrative depth, culminating in an abrupt conclusion where thanks to Sabiha those involved in corrupt practices within the police — such as Akbar Uncle — are nabbed, but she is posted to Malikabad as a punishment for not following proper policing procedures. Still, she has the satisfaction of having cleared her father’s name, not only to the world, but — most importantly — to herself.

Despite strong performances from the cast, including Butt, Faridi, and Sameer, realistic set designs and costumes, and an otherwise exceptional story, Inspector Sabiha fails to leave a lasting impact. It had the potential to be a powerful prequel but misses the mark due to its rushed pacing, underdeveloped plot points, and insufficient exploration of complex themes.