SUKKUR: Emotional scenes were witnessed when a 14-year-old girl who was kidnapped in Karachi four years ago reunited with her parents at Darul Aman here on Sunday.

Umme Habiba who was kidnapped by one Kareeman Bhatti, a resident of Ali Gohar Bhambhro village, burst into tears when she saw her father Iftikhar Bhatti and mother Sajida Bhatti for the first time in four years, bringing tears to the parents’ eyes.

Police had taken action after news about the girl’s kidnapping was aired, arrested Zafar Bhatti, husband of Kareeman Bhatti, and recovered Umme Habiba. She was subsequently produced in court which ordered lodging her in Darul Aman on Oct 26, 2014. The girl remained stuck at the facility as she only remembered that her parents lived in Karachi but did not know proper address of her home.

Six months ago, Justice Salahuddin Panhwar of Sindh High Court Sukkur bench took notice of the girl during his visit of Darul Aman and issued directives to police and other authorities concerned to search out the girl’s relatives.

Sukkur police finally succeeded in locating the girl’s parents in Kati Pahari area in Karachi and brought them Sukkur on Sunday to meet their daughter.

Published in Dawn, November 5th, 2018