Police remain clueless about the whereabouts of a seven-year-old boy, Sarim, who has been missing since January 7.
Despite investigations into his disappearance, there has been no significant breakthrough in locating him.
However, there have been developments in the case as the boy’s mother received a ransom demand via WhatsApp from an international number.
Sarim was allegedly abducted in North Karachi Sector 5 within the limits of the Bilal Colony police station. A case of the abduction was registered after he went missing.
He went to a madrasa located at an apartment on the afternoon of January 7 but did not return. According to his seminary teacher, who taught the boy recitation of the Holy Quran, Sarim left the madrasa after completing his lesson at the usual time.
On 14 January 2025, Sarim’s father claimed that his mother had been receiving messages demanding a ransom from an international WhatsApp number. “For the past two days, my wife has been receiving messages stating that if we want the child back, we have to pay Rs500,000. The number is from Saudi Arabia. However, we told the person demanding the ransom that we need to know the child’s identity so that we can be sure you are the genuine kidnapper,” he said.
On Tuesday night, Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori visited the house of the abducted child, and assured the parents of his full cooperation in the child’s recovery.
He instructed the authorities to use all available resources for the safe recovery of Sarim. During the visit, relevant police officials briefed the governor on the case.
Expressing concern, Tessori stated that Karachi had become a place of lawlessness. He asserted that everyone needed to work together to set an example so that no child was kidnapped in the future.
Published in News Daily on 16-January-2025.
