Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori on Thursday assured the parents of a child missing since last week that he would be recovered soon as Karachi police continued their investigation into a recent spate of child abductions.
Recently, three children were kidnapped in the city, prompting the Sindh Chief Minister and Home Minister to take note and order the police to take practical measures for their immediate recovery.
Two children were kidnapped by a motorcycle-riding couple in Garden on Tuesday, while a third was kidnapped in north Karachi on January 7, for whose release a ransom has reportedly been demanded from the family.
Southern Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Syed Asad Raza had said dawn.com that two children, Aliyan, also known as Ali, five, and Ali Raza, six, were playing on Siddique Wahab Road in Garden West when a couple driving a motorcycle took them away on Tuesday around 1:30 p.m.
Meanwhile, the third boy, seven-year-old Mohammed Sarim, is missing and is believed to have been abducted in northern Karachi on January 7 when he did not return from a seminary he had gone to for religious teaching.
A statement issued today by the Governor’s House said Sarim’s parents met with Tessori, who assured the mother that her son would recover “very soon.”
“All possible measures are being taken to ensure Sarim’s recovery,” he said.
Governor Tessori also directed Sindh Inspector General of Police Ghulam Nabi Memon to ensure the boy’s recovery and directed Citizen Police Liaison Committee chief Zubair Habib to utilize all available resources for this purpose.
Sarim’s father, Mohsin Pervez, said dawn.com The governor informed him that authorities expected a “breakthrough” in the case within a few days.
Criminal Investigation Agency (CIA) DIG Muquddus Haider said dawn.com today that Sarim’s case was transferred to the Anti-Violence Crime Cell (AVCC) for investigation the other day after his family reported a ransom call.
However, the CIA chief noted that one call was made from Saudi Arabia while another call through WhatsApp was made from Multan. He said one of those numbers had been used in some other cases where unknown people demanded a ransom from parents for their missing children. He hinted at the possibility that it appeared to be a hoax call.
DIG Haider said no such ransom demand was made in the kidnapping of two Garden children.
Aneel Haider, senior superintendent of police (SSP) of the AVCC, said dawn.com that the suspect who demanded a ransom call was deported from Saudi Arabia for his alleged criminal activities there. He said another call made from Multan was used in “several” more cases and appeared to be a prank call.
SSP Haider said that he and a team of investigators met Sarim’s family in North Karachi today, visited the crime scene and also obtained CCTV footage for investigation purposes.
Pervez said the caller had demanded Rs 5 million from them. However, he said AVCC investigators who met with him today advised the family to ignore those calls.
Two children recovered
Separately, police said two children who went missing from Keamari district two days ago were recovered safely today. Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar thanked the Keamari SSP and his team for the effort.
The Home Minister also sought details from the city SSP regarding the alleged abduction of two children from Garden.
