KARACHI, Feb 6: As many as 2,536 cases of kidnapping of women and children were reported in the country during the year 2003.

According to a report compiled by Madadgaar, a project of the Lawyers for Human Rights and Legal Aid, 1,760 cases of women kidnapping, 463 cases of female children and 313 cases of male children were reported from different parts of the country.

The report reveals that a significant increase has been registered in kidnapping cases during the year 2003, as in 2002 a total of 2,145 cases of kidnapping were reported.

The data shows that of the 1,760 cases of women kidnapping, 143 were reported in January; 134 in February, 149 in March, 208 in April, 164 in May, 180 in June, 144 in July, 187 in August, 126 in September, 138 in October, 119 in November and 68 in December 2003.

The research highlights that the perpetrators had acquaintance with husbands, brothers, sons, in-laws, or were neighbours, friends, family friends or strangers. In some very significant cases the kidnappers were policemen. In other cases the kidnappers were dacoits, lovers, Waderas, Peers, Faqirs, Maulvis, shopkeepers, pimps, or traffickers.

Of the 463 cases of female-child abduction, 46 were acknowledged in January, 28 in February, 36 in March, 23 in April, 36 in May, 47 in June, 60 in July, 49 in August, 38 in September, 41 in October, 39 in November and 20 in December.

Of the 313 cases of male-child kidnapping, 50 were acknowledged in January, 33 in February, 24 in March, 31 in April, 34 in May, 19 in June, 18 in July, 19 in August, 27 in September, 19 in October, 25 in November and 14 were reported in December.

The analysis shows that cases of women and child kidnapping are rampant in Punjab and Sindh. During the last year 1,680 cases of women and child abduction were reported in Punjab; 721 cases in Sindh, 94 in NWFP and 41 cases in Balochistan.

The data further shows that 513 kidnapping cases were reported in Karachi, 535 in Lahore, 66 in Peshawar, 33 in Quetta, 338 in Multan. -PPI