Police said Shama paid the bills, took the newborn on the pretext of asking for help and then sold him to a couple in Punjab.
A mother holds her newborn baby after the Punjab police recovered him following a case of kidnapping and illegal sale. Photo by author
Karachi police have recovered a newborn allegedly kidnapped and sold in Punjab and returned him to his parents, officials said on Sunday. The case has led authorities to seal the clinic where the baby was born, while the search continues for two suspects accused of orchestrating trafficking.
According to police, the child was taken from Zehra Clinic in Memon Goth soon after birth. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Malir Abdul Khaliq Pirzada said clinic employee Shama Baloch and a woman identified as Dr Zahra were involved in “the sale of the child in Punjab”.
“Multiple raids have been carried out. Both suspects will soon be arrested and brought to justice,” SSP Pirzada said, confirming that no arrests have been made so far.
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The case came to light after the baby’s father, Sarang, filed a complaint. Dr Zahra advised his wife, Shehnaz, who had stayed with her parents due to domestic problems, to undergo a caesarean section. When the family said they could not afford the operation, the doctor referred them to Shama, who claimed he worked with an organization that helped poor families.
Police said Shama paid the medical expenses and after delivery, took the newborn away on the pretext of supporting him. However, when Sarang tried to contact the clinic about her son, she was given Shama’s number, which was later found switched off. Fearing that her son had been sold, she alerted the authorities.
“Shama introduced herself as an NGO worker and convinced the mother that the child would have a better future if he was handed over to her,” said SSP Pirzada. “The mother did not know that the baby would be trafficked.”
The investigation soon revealed that the baby had not been given to any NGO as claimed, but had been sold to a childless couple in Punjab.
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The case has been registered with charges including kidnapping and human trafficking under sections 363 and sections 3, 4 and 5 of the Prevention of Trafficking in Persons Act, 2018.
Police confirmed that pressure on the suspects led to them bringing the baby from Punjab. The baby has since been reunited with his parents.
Authorities closed the Zehra clinic and are now reviewing whether similar cases may have occurred. The search for the two suspects continues.
