KARACHI, June 1: A child rights group on Friday expressed its concern over the increasing incidents of child killings in Sindh. A statement issued here, the Society for the Protection of the Rights of the Child (Sparc) said that children were mainly kidnapped for sexual exploitation and then murdered.

It seems that some organised gang is behind these heinous activities, said Akhtar Hussain Baloch, regional manager Sparc, Sindh.

According to the statement, bodies of two unknown children were found in gunny bags in Korangi lately. The police said the bodies were two days old and bore signs of torture.

“The cases of kidnapping, sexual abuse and murder of innocent children are getting common in the province for the last few months,” said Mr Baloch.

The bodies of two missing children Ghulam Ali, 8, and Ahmad Raza, 7, were found from a filthy water pit in Thari Mirwah Taluka of District Khairpur on April 20, 2007.

Similarly, Mohammad Akbar, 8, was kidnapped on Feb 3, 2007, and then killed for reasons not yet revealed.

On the beginning of March 2007, the Ittehad Town Police in Karachi found the severed head of an unknown 8-year-old-girl. The police also found the dead body of a 12-year-old-boy in Baloch Colony.

Naveed Kalhoro,11, was kidnapped in Dokri Taluka of District Larkana whose body was later found after 11 days. According to medical investigation, the boy was subjected to severe torture and sexual exploitation before being killed.

The Sparc demanded for the establishment of a special cell about missing children by the police department.

“The civil society groups should lobby with the print and electronic media to create awareness among the masses regarding the issue of missing children”, he said and demanded that prompt action be taken to identify and punish the culprits.