ATC sends suspected cannibals on seven-day physical remand

E-Paper | October 11, 2026

ATC sends suspected cannibals on seven-day physical remand

Dawn.com Published April 15, 2014

LAHORE: Two brothers Arif and Farman, who were arrested for their alleged involvement in cannibalism, were produced in an anti-terrorism court (ATC) Tuesday and were subsequently sent on a seven-day physical remand, DawnNews reported.

Earlier today, the police had also managed to arrest Mohammad Farman on suspicion of cannibalism after the heads of two babies were found at his house.

Farman's brother, Mohammad Arif, was arrested earlier yesterday on a similar suspicion.

Farman had fled the police earlier on Monday as he had to be produced today in an anti-terrorism court (ATC).

Arif and Farman had been found guilty of the same crime in March 2011 and jailed. They were released in May last year after serving a two-year sentence.

Arif's arrest came yesterday when police raided their house in Kahawar Kalan village, near Darya Khan town in Bhakkar district, after neighbours complained of an overpowering stench.

A grisly scene awaited them – the heads of the two babies.

Arif admitted having eaten the child after his brother had stolen the body from a graveyard.

Mohammad Arif (R) sits in police custody at a police station in the town of Darya Khan. —Reuters Photo

Since there is no law against cannibalism in the penal code, Arif has been charged with dishonouring a body and public order offences.

The same charges were made three years ago. On that occasion police had found the body of a 24-year-old woman who had died of cancer at the two men’s house. A leg was missing since they had eaten it.

Talking to Dawn, Najeebullah Khan, MPA of PML-N from Darya Khan, called upon the government to consider making a law to discourage cannibalism.

The shocking discovery sent a wave of panic through the village, forcing many people to check the graves of their relatives.

Pakistan

Bhakkar cannibals back to eating human flesh

‘Cannibals had disturbed childhood’

Prosecutors show least interest

Sarthak

Apr 15, 2014 10:08am

They need treatment.

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Ali Khan

Apr 15, 2014 10:28am

When will be a Law about Cannibalism be made???? Guess it is not important enough......

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Saad Syed

Apr 15, 2014 10:33am

@Sarthak: There are actually several types of schizophrenia, each with its own characteristics.,, those boys need help and have to be on medication.. i dont understand why the govt in Pakistan say some thing or write stuff like that or why doesnt the media brings some kinda awareness about anxiety or depression..... half the country is suffering from severe anxiety ( fear) or depression or anger issues.....

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zauq

Apr 15, 2014 11:25am

They should be freed on bail so that they could continue their heinous activities like other terrorists groups unleashed in this country. After all the cannibals, terrorists, suicide bombers, traitors, foreign agents in media also have human rights and no democratic society can usurp such rights. First produce proofs and witnesses before punishing them. As for country and society,Charh ja beta suli ram bhali karega"..***

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Ahmed

Apr 15, 2014 12:22pm

Some one needs to speak with them what was the purpose of Antrhopophagia or eating human flesh. Many tribes in the work have been doing the same as their culture allowed them to do so in groups. Many people in the past have done so as to complete some sort of ritual. Others practice our of hunger- some accompanied by sexual attraction towards corpses of opposite sex. This pair of brothers even ate children. The reports clearly tell that they were a neglected family and I personally believe that they might have gone through severe child abuse including rape and violence. They look to me mentally unfit to judge the have have a sick feeling that rest of us have of eating human meat. Keeping in view the way the society treats children we can expect people eating, killing, raping, burning their fellow species on the grounds of revenge, hatred, ritual or hunger- hunger of all kinds!

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Masoud

Apr 15, 2014 02:17pm

These brothers are mentally sick, give them treatment & put them in jail until they fully recover from their mental illness or otherwise jail them for the rest of their life. If they are released without treatment they may become a bigger danger like mass killer etc

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Daud

Apr 15, 2014 02:40pm

@Masoud: they need real treatment

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Ash Mirza

Apr 15, 2014 02:46pm

@Sarthak:I agree with you 100% ..Indeed both brothers are mentally ill, they both need treatment. Normal person will never eat human body.

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Syed Azmathullah Khaderi

Apr 15, 2014 03:18pm

Where is law and order and a corruption free system in Pakistan? It is a Babel of unlawful activities. The first problem is the self-righteousness of Pakistanis. Whichever faith a Pakistani abides by, he considers it to be the absolutely final true faith. Their substitution of Pinglish for English, for example "fraudia" for a "fraud", "graphical" for "graphics" etc. is atrocious. Nobody can understand why the PM of Pakistan lords out of the Senate, and no one can understand why the criminals, killers, abductors, thieves and rapists are never heard to have been prosecuted and sentenced in an exemplary manner. There is only the norm of "Raat gayee, baat gayee". I am sure that a Pakistan was never, and will never be.

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Syed Azmathullah Khaderi

Apr 15, 2014 03:19pm

if you hang innocent comment on the hook of moderation you will miss any further.

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Asif

Apr 15, 2014 04:02pm

What Cannibalism has to do with depression or mental illness? Ridiculous !

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Faraz

Apr 15, 2014 04:32pm

They must be hanged.only solution.

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salma hasan

Apr 15, 2014 04:58pm

nobody in his sane mind would kill a human being also, or rape and burn a child so they should also be treated as sick people and not given punishment. this mentality that instead of asking for punishment to the culprit, he is usually potraited as an innocent patient of some disease is increasing day by day. it is ridiculous. why spend taxpayer's precious money on these criminals. just make a law and hang them. society does not need people who eat human flesh without any kind of regret.

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imran11755@gmail.com

Apr 15, 2014 05:02pm

Two cannibalistic individuals produced in anti-terrorism court? Must be a huge threat to the society in Pakistan as opposed to a medical treatment they may require.

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shami

Apr 15, 2014 05:03pm

@Sarthak: What sort of treatment they need? A man who is used to eating Human Flesh for years cannot be mentally retarted. These Adam Khors should be put behind bars for 20 years. When they will eat Dal Roti in Jail then they will realize what they have been upto.

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Ayesha Khan

Apr 15, 2014 05:10pm

I suggest that we all must consider that" Ibless" is also suffering from chronic depression and he should get some medical treatment also-- Why only he should be cursed when others can get away with simple depression and mental disorders.

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Vaibhav

Apr 15, 2014 05:43pm

Pakistan needs to amend its laws. They were caught and released in 2 years and so theyc commited the crime again. Amend your laws Pakistan.

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Sarthak

Apr 15, 2014 05:55pm

@shami: They are ill but they aren't criminals. Did they kill, torture, loot anybody? No. Hence they need treatment. Yes I agree they can't be left to roam around in the society, at least not now. They will have to be isolated but treated. And if and when they are cured they can be made free. Even if they cant ever be freed they should never be treated with hatred or as a criminal. Direct hatred, if you must, towards talibans not towards someone who eats corpse due to illness. Mental patients doing something unlawful cannot be treated like other criminals. On what basis would you but someone behind the bars for 20 years/ whole life when they haven't killed, tortured anyone. A crime is committed when there is criminal intention but when it happens due to extreme psychological conditions is it really crime? It is just that they are sick but their sickness is of a kind that you are unable to show compassion for.

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Farhan

Apr 15, 2014 05:58pm

The only solution to stop Hanged them infront of public. Surprise , they were arrested before because of same reason and releeased. My God , this absolute corrupt of Pakistan Gove first they shoudn't release at the first time. If we don't implement the Allah(swt) Laws we'll never get peace in our countries

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ALLY HASSAN ALI

Apr 15, 2014 06:10pm

This is not cannabalism, this is Satanism. And for Satanism there is no Law in Apex courts, Only provision lies in Islamic Law. And that provision is Death By Beheading Publicly. But is Pakistan Government is ready for this? Are we ready to defy the American Law of Human Rights? What about the Rights of the Children who are being eaten???? Human Rights Activists are the biggest hypocrits Hang them or its too late for Pakistan which was created on Islamic Principles.

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ahmed

Apr 15, 2014 06:26pm

Will they be meeting his dietary preferences in prison?

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Tilikum

Apr 15, 2014 06:30pm

I say let them be ! we can even start a reality show staring the brothers, " The Real Cannibals of Bhakkar". It will be interesting, each episode the brother dig a grave and cook in a different style, while the show also gives us a glimpse in the life of the deceased soon to be eaten person. Lets face it, they are only eating the dead, not harming anyone living expect themselves: I once cooked a dead cat and was sick for week, I wonder how they manage to avoid getting sick while munching on corpses. What is the secret ingredient ...love ?

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Zack Khan

Apr 15, 2014 06:57pm

@Syed Azmathullah Khaderi: There is no such thing as "Khaderi", should be "Qaderi". Can you correct the spelling please!

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Zack Khan

Apr 15, 2014 06:58pm

@Ayesha Khan: I agree.

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Zack Khan

Apr 15, 2014 07:00pm

I say hang these guys if they are not eating out of hunger, if the were eating human flesh out of hunger than hang the Khalifa Nawaz Sharif.

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Bin Adam

Apr 15, 2014 07:32pm

@Farhan: Dear Farhan, you may rightly demanding these cannibals to be hanged for eating the flesh of a few dead bodies? What about the worst than cannibal head to toes corrupt and criminals dictators, rulers, their coteries and perverted functionaries who been sucking the blood and devouring the flesh of their own living people since long a time. As frequently exposed in the press and the Court, that many times above single criminal of the Nation and humanity, in one single case of corruption have devoured many many billions and as such emptying and bankrupting the national treasure again and again, and, leaving the non-privileged honest living majority in worst pain and suffering than any dead bodies?

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NASAH (USA)

Apr 15, 2014 08:25pm

As a 'most happy contented' Norwegian would say -- "you eat beef we eat whale".

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Nasir-ud-din Soomro

Apr 15, 2014 09:31pm

When humans turn to beasts they come in this form!!! If proven,the criminals must be rigorously punished.

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realist

Apr 16, 2014 02:49am

@ALLY HASSAN ALI: Pakistan was not created on Islamic principles. Stop dragging religion into everything as dragging it and misusing it in every situation has brought Pakistan to this point.

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S. A. M.

Apr 16, 2014 03:12am

How can it be ascertained that these man eaters have not killed anybody to satisfy their hunger. May be they have and may be they have not but nobody cannot rule out this risk that they may resort to killing humans in future if they don't get the flesh of the dead ones. Their crime is not at all so small that it can be termed spent after few years. No they are not fit to live freely in the society where our kids play, go to school and are at heavy risk already. Even if they were brutally abused in their childhood it should not be used as an excuse to let them have the opportunity to spoil the lives of others. They are abnormals and should be treated accordingly.

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S. A. M.

Apr 16, 2014 03:16am

@NASAH (USA): so are you trying to say by eating human flesh they are trying to exhibit their extreme happinnes. do you intend to join them as well. OMG such an astounding effect on readers in such a small period of time. We used to hear of homos in hiding but now its cannibals in hiding. are we going to have zombies as the fourth gender!

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Tariq K Sami

Apr 16, 2014 04:54am

Cannibalism cases are reported off and on from different parts of the world. One of my Indian friends told me a retired Police officer and his servant were caught in Delhi and the servant was kidnapping little kids or killing homeless people by luring them in and then he would cook for his master and they both were cannibals. So chill out guys and do not horror stories make you more depressed than you already are. So what will you say about this NY Times story about this American women who had killed 7 of her newborn children and kept them in plastic wrapped in boxes found in her garage. So go out smell the roses and thank God you and yours are normal people.

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Sufi Mateen

Apr 16, 2014 06:33am

What is big news eating dead or eating alive? You have corrupt politicians eating people alive?

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Bin Adam

Apr 17, 2014 05:14pm

If they are truly cannibals and eating the human flesh again after 3 years which is capital crime, they should be put to death and eliminated in the larger interest of human society. Else they will remain a threat and may induce others like them deranged minded persons to cannibalism?

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