The body of a nine-year-old boy who had been raped and then murdered was found in Karachi's Saeedabad area on Thursday, officials said.

The body of the boy, recovered in Saeedabad Sector-4, was shifted to Civil Hospital Karachi for a post-mortem examination.

Additional Police Surgeon Dr Qarar Ahmed Abbasi told Dawn that the boy had been subjected to criminal assault before being strangulated to death. Torture marks were also present on different parts of his body, he said.

Senior Superintendent Police (SSP) West Younis Chandio told Dawn that the victim was a student at a local seminary. He went to the seminary on Tuesday, but did not return home, he added.

The family lodged his missing persons report at the Saeedabad police station on Thursday morning, which prompted the police to initiate a search and recover his body.

SSP Chandio said that this is the second such incident in the vicinity.

Three months ago, the body of another boy who was raped and murdered was found.

Earlier in September, the body of a sexually assaulted 10-year-old boy was found outside the City Courts.

The officer said he is leading a special investigation team, which also includes the superintendent police (SP) Baldia Town and SP Orangi Town, among other officers.

The police have some "clues" about suspects and have launched a manhunt to arrest them, he said.

Opinion

Editorial

Defining extremism
Updated 18 Mar, 2024

Defining extremism

Redefining extremism may well be the first step to clamping down on advocacy for Palestine.
Climate in focus
18 Mar, 2024

Climate in focus

IN a welcome order by the Supreme Court, the new government has been tasked with providing a report on actions taken...
Growing rabies concern
18 Mar, 2024

Growing rabies concern

DOG-BITE is an old problem in Pakistan. Amid a surfeit of public health challenges, rabies now seems poised to ...
Provincial share
Updated 17 Mar, 2024

Provincial share

PPP has aptly advised Centre to worry about improving its tax collection rather than eying provinces’ share of tax revenues.
X-communication
17 Mar, 2024

X-communication

IT has now been a month since Pakistani authorities decided that the country must be cut off from one of the...
Stateless humanity
17 Mar, 2024

Stateless humanity

THE endless hostility between India and Pakistan has reduced prisoners to mere statistics. Although the two ...