KARACHI: While the police chief called social media reports about widespread kidnapping of children in Karachi “rumours”, a woman was caught red-handed kidnapping a schoolgirl in Gulshan-i-Iqbal on Thursday.

The local police arrested the woman, Saeeda Bano, whose attempt to kidnap three-and-a-half-year-old Aleeza was foiled by her mother with the help of area people.

The suspect claimed that she was a resident of Shah Faisal Colony and visited Gulshan-i-Iqbal for beggary though she did not look like a beggar, said an official at the Gulshan-i-Iqbal police station.

Police, CPLC attempt to reject social media hype about widespread kidnapping of children in Karachi

She was spotted leaving a street in Gulshan-i-Iqbal block 1 with the child by victim’s mother who had just arrived at the school to pick her as a matter of routine. “The mother started shouting seeing the woman taking her daughter away,” said Sub-Inspector Ali Gohar.

He said: “Hearing her screams, some area people gathered there and caught the woman. Then the police reached the spot and arrested the woman. She was brought to the police station for interrogation.”

An FIR (442/2016) was registered against her under Sections 363 (kidnapping) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code on a complaint of her maternal grandfather, Nadeem, the police official said.

He said the police were not sure about the intentions of the suspected woman as investigations were under way. Her claim about beggary seemed frivolous as she was well-dressed and did not look a beggar at all, the official added.

“We have also asked the area people who said they had never seen her begging in their neighbourhood,” he said.

According to the police, the victim was a resident of Bengali Para.

Earlier, the Karachi police chief “denied” rumours being circulated on social media about the widespread kidnapping of children in the metropolis and believed such mischievous reports were aimed at ‘discrediting’ law enforcers engaged in fighting the criminals to restore peace to the provincial capital.

“The reports about widespread kidnapping of young children and females by certain elements were not based on facts,” the police spokesperson quoted additional IG Mushtaq Ahmed Maher as saying.

“There was no truth in children being kidnapped systematically or in a planned way or the bodies of victims of sexual assault being recovered in posh areas. Such information was being circulated with mala fide intentions to create fear in the minds of parents and discredit consistent efforts of police and Rangers.”

The Citizens-Police Liaison Committee (CPLC) also came up with recent data to dispel the impression about kidnapping of children in the city and growing fears among parents due to reports over broadcast and social media.

“Reports being published on social media regarding kidnapping of children are causing a lot of concerns amongst the public,” said a CPLC statement.

“The CPLC plays a very important role in maintaining missing children data and integrity thereof. This data also does not support the reports being highlighted on social media. We are very closely monitoring the situation and unable to verify the reports published on social media in this regard, which is causing great disturbance amongst the masses.”

This year, it said, five of the total six reported cases of children’s kidnapping were solved, as the missing kids were recovered by the CPLC with police help. It said no element of organised kidnapping was found in any such case.

“Most of these missing children have been reunited with their families. It is important to note that all of the missing children are not kidnapped, most of them had fled homes due to domestic violence and other problems,” said the statement.

“The CPLC remains committed to its utmost in detection of these cases and assures the public that if such incidents are reported to CPLC helpline 1102, it will carry out probe to apprehend the criminals involved in this heinous crime and also ensure safe return of the victims.”

Published in Dawn, August 19th, 2016