Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Acting Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar has taken cognisance of media reports regarding the increasing incidents of child abductions in Punjab.

Assuming the original jurisdiction of the Supreme Court contained under Article 184(3), the acting chief justice took suo motu notice of the matter and observed that abductions are a violation of the fundamental rights, especially of life, liberty, safety and free movement.

Through a press release issued on Tuesday, the acting chief justice said that the issue was undoubtedly of great public importance. He said that a large-scale abduction of children in a short span of time was a matter of immense concern.

He said that it had been highlighted that “such objections are orchestrated with the nefarious object of extracting vital body organs of the abductees; while another attribution is for the sexual abuse and/or beggary etc, through the children”.

Justice Mian Saqib Nisar also issued directives to Punjab Police Inspector General Mushtaq Ahmad Sukhaira to depute high-ranking police officers to provide details of such incidents.

While issuing notice to the advocate general of Punjab, the acting CJP ordered to fix the case on July 28 in the SC’s Lahore Registry.

According to media reports, more than 600 children have been abducted from the province – approximately 300 from Lahore alone – since January.

Reports further claimed that the recent incidents of abductions have sparked panic in the provincial capital, particularly in the areas of Haneef Park, Shadbagh, Badami Bagh and Misri Shah.

A week ago, the body of one of the missing children was found in the Badami Bagh area. The sack-packed body was that of Muhammad Umair, son of Shabbir Ahmed, who was sexually assaulted before being killed.

The police have, so far, identified six victims as 12-year-old Yaseen, 10-year-old Muhammad Umair, eight-year-old Fahad, seven-year-old Sameer and two-and-a-half-year-old Daim Ali.

Last week, Capital City Police Officer Muhammad Amin Wains also admitted that at least 187 children had been kidnapped from different parts of Lahore.