PESHAWAR: Police on Monday arrested a couple suspected of selling their newborn child to a ring of alleged abductors nabbed in Peshawar last week.

Imtiaz and his wife were apprehended from Nowshera's Pabbi area on charges of child trafficking when police raided their house after receiving a lead from Wajiha, a prime suspect in the kidnapping ring arrested last week, Investigating Officer (IO) Inspector Lalzada.

Wajiha provided police the names of the couple during investigation, the IO said, adding that the suspect alleged the couple sold their baby to the gang for Rs100,000.

Speaking to DawnNews, the accused Imtiaz denied the charges against him and his wife. He alleged that he had handed his daughter over to Wajiha ─ who had pretended to be a doctor ─ because he was poor and the suspected gang member had promised a bright future for the child.

Despite their refusing the money, Wajiha gave the couple Rs70,000 in return, Imtiaz alleged.

IO Lalzada said the staff of certain maternity homes and hospitals were involved in the business of buying and selling babies.

Explore: Newborn kidnapping gang busted in Peshawar

Opinion

Editorial

Kurram atrocity
22 Nov, 2024

Kurram atrocity

WITH the situation in KP’s Kurram tribal district already volatile for the past several months, the murderous...
Persistent grip
22 Nov, 2024

Persistent grip

PAKISTAN has now registered 50 polio cases this year. We all saw it coming and yet there was nothing we could do to...
Green transport
22 Nov, 2024

Green transport

THE government has taken a commendable step by announcing a New Energy Vehicle policy aiming to ensure that by 2030,...
Military option
Updated 21 Nov, 2024

Military option

While restoring peace is essential, addressing Balochistan’s socioeconomic deprivation is equally important.
HIV/AIDS disaster
21 Nov, 2024

HIV/AIDS disaster

A TORTUROUS sense of déjà vu is attached to the latest health fiasco at Multan’s Nishtar Hospital. The largest...
Dubious pardon
21 Nov, 2024

Dubious pardon

IT is disturbing how a crime as grave as custodial death has culminated in an out-of-court ‘settlement’. The...