Police on Monday claimed to have recovered the two girls who were reportedly kidnapped a few days ago from a Darul Aman (a government-run shelter home) in Punjab's Rajanpur district.

Rajanpur City police station SHO Fiazul Haq Chaudhary told Dawn that police have recovered both the girls from the residences of their relatives living in Sindh. He said one girl was recovered from Kashmore district, Sindh, who told police that she had left the Darul Aman on her own will.

The other girl was recovered from Karachi and was being brought to Rajanpur, he added.

"If she also says that she left the Darul Aman on her own will then both the girls would be free to go."

Last week, Saba Zahra, the head of the Darul Aman, told police that unidentified kidnappers reportedly scaled the rear wall of the building and took away the two girls.

According to her statement to police, a security guard and a peon had been deployed at the premises, however, both were sleeping at the time of the alleged abduction.

Police had registered a case and launched a probe into the matter. Subsequently, Rajanpur Deputy Commissioner Ashfaq Ahmed took notice of the security breach at the Darul Aman and constituted an inquiry committee to fix responsibility of the matter.

One of the two girls, hailing from Muzaffargarh, was admitted to the Darul Aman a week ago on December 20, whereas the second, hailing from Kot Mithan, on December 23.