BAHAWALPUR, June 13: Fortune smiled at a couple after 11 long years of tribulation it faced after its two-month-old son was kidnapped from a hospital. The child brought back the fragrance to the flower garden of parenthood.

The Cantonment police claimed that they had recovered from Rahim Yar Khan eleven-year-old Waqas Ayub who was ‘kidnapped’ in 1997 from the Combined Military Hospital.

According to police officials, Ayub, an armyman, was blessed with a baby boy on Mrach 26, 1997. His wife remained admitted to the hospital for quite some time after the child’s birth and one day as she returned after a medical checkup, she found her infant missing from the ward, officials said.

The family raised a hue and cry and blamed the hospital staff for criminal neglect. Subsequently, a case was registered but extensive search by both police and army officials proved futile.

The couple’s life, henceforward, was one of utter despondency and all their dreams of seeing the child again were shattered.

Ayub’s efforts bore fruit after 11 years when he got a clue that his son whom he named Waqas Ayub was studying in class-IV at a garrison school. His name on the school rolls is Dilbar.

Ayub informed the DPO who assigned the job to a team which, employing its intelligence, reached Khadim Husain, an army official in Rahim Yar Khan who was suspected to have been involved in the child’s kidnap. Khadim confessed to kidnapping Waqas through his wife Zahida, claiming that they had been issueless and wanted to have a baby.

Khadim informed the police that the child was in the custody of one Kausar Bibi, wife of Muhammad Husain, who had brought him up.

The police raided the house along with Waqas’ parents who identified their child by birth mark.

The suspects were arrested and further investigation is under way.