Man held over alleged sexual assault of 6-year-old boy in Karachi

E-Paper | April 28, 2026

Police on Saturday arrested a man from Karachi's Napier Road area for allegedly sexually assaulting a minor boy.

Napier SHO Azam Khan told Dawn that a widow filed a complaint stating that her six-year-old son had gone to buy eatables from a bakery in Lea Market where he was allegedly subjected to criminal assault.

Police arrested the suspect, who was an employee at the bakery, and registered a case under Section 377 (unnatural offences) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

The suspect was presented before a judicial magistrate who remanded him in police custody for two days for interrogation, the SHO said.

The SHO said a medical examination of the boy took place at Civil Hospital Karachi where doctors ruled out the possibility of any sexual assault. He added that police were investigating the case.

The latest incident comes days after widespread outrage and protest demonstrations erupted across the country against the rape and murder of 6-year-old Zainab Amin in Kasur, whose body was recovered from a trash heap in the city earlier this week.

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Violence against children

Pakistan

Imtiaz Ali is a Karachi-based reporter for Dawn with over 25 years of experience in the field. His reporting portfolio encompasses crime, politics, and the provincial legislature, alongside coverage of the courts, government affairs, and the health sector.

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Faisal

Jan 13, 2018 08:45pm

Good that we are educating our kids to report such behavior.

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Dr.Sadaf

Jan 13, 2018 08:49pm

Why was a six year old child sent to the shop alone, parents created the first exposure, first do your duty and then start blaming the system.

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Anti-Corruption_Pakistan

Jan 13, 2018 08:59pm

Investigation and make sure the accused man committed said crime. Do not assume and be emotional and take action against an innocent person.

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Asim

Jan 13, 2018 09:30pm

Heard that kid’s mother is blind

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Momo

Jan 13, 2018 09:45pm

Sickening.

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Skeptic

Jan 13, 2018 09:52pm

@Dr.Sadaf Your logic does not quite match your Title, Dr. You are blaming the parents - without knowing all the facts, why they had to send six-year-old to the shop. Instead of questioning the possibility that child may have been assaulted by this man. Yes, he may in fact be innocent. But the parents are not the criminals either who had to ask their kid to go to the corner shop. It happens all over Pakistan every day. Six-year olds are even seen toiling in the fields, selling knick-knacks on the streets, begging or washing cars to feed themselves, in our poor nation, every day. Not all families can employ servants, But some have to offer their child as a maid or servant to affluent families, so the rest of them can survive. What are they supposed to do, to survive? Rest of us have the luxury to sit back comfortably in front of our tablet or laptop of pass judgements!~

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Khan

Jan 13, 2018 10:00pm

@Dr.Sadaf Read the full text, the mother is a widow. The bakery was obvioisly not miles away from tbeir house, it must have been in close vicinity. Children go outside all the time, does that mean even if they are playing outside in the street their parents ahould always be with them? You cant keep a child at home all the time, and you cant accompany them 24/7, which is why a certain amount of trust is vested into the society that it will not barm an innocent child. We better rwform oir society not lock our children at home.

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tahira

Jan 13, 2018 10:32pm

I totally agree qith doctor sadaf

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tahira

Jan 13, 2018 10:36pm

There should be strict laws

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Dilawar

Jan 13, 2018 10:54pm

@Khan and @skeptic - it’s parents responsibility to ensure the safety of kids and you cannot send your child out alone. In the West, if the authority finds out that a child under the age of 12 is left unsupervised, they catch the parents. No excuse for Pakistani society to blame the system, you will find phedofile everywhere . One must be cautious and ensure to educate the child as well

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Saqib ghumman

Jan 13, 2018 11:09pm

It's criminal to leave children alone at home or send them to shop unsupervised in any developed nation..

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Dr.Sadaf

Jan 14, 2018 12:21am

@Skeptic , we live in Pakistan so we should act according to our environment and surroundings, we can’t depend on the state to provide us with the basic needs of a civilized society so we as individuals have to do our own bit. Our children first and foremost are our responsibility and if people are sending their small kids outside to run small errands for the house it is not right. There is lack of education, lack of exposure and lack of understanding of our own environment which is giving rise to these problems. Leaving your children with the servants is the most dangerous thing you can do to your child. You teach your children about these exposures and you sacrifice certain joys of your own life to keep your children safe. If you leave your house unlocked and the thief comes in it is not the thief who is at fault, it is you who left your house without appropriate security measures.

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Dr.Sadaf

Jan 14, 2018 12:28am

@Khan , where is it written that a widow can’t go out, she can’t go out but she can send a six year old outside alone even if it is only few steps, sorry to say but there is no logic in all the argument, and yes when we know that a certain mental sickness is increasing in our society we should create a manner of 24 hour vigilance for our children.

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Hussein

Jan 14, 2018 12:40am

@Dr.Sadaf in most civilized societies 6 yr olds can safely walk about. Walk to school with friends, play in the park, walk a few blocks to the stores to get something. Unfortunately, Pakistani society has detoriated to a new level is sexual harassment, molestetion, rape with impunity. My suggestion will be to create citizen watch groups who obey the law yet create safe zones for children and women to freely move around.

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Sana

Jan 14, 2018 02:01am

@Dr.Sadaf this is called victim blaming.

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Khurshid

Jan 14, 2018 03:27am

In such cases parents are equally responsible for negligence, and ignoring their part of responsibility towards their children. Alongwith the children, parents of such should also be educated how to be responsible in taking care of their children. Prevention is better than cure.

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illawarrior

Jan 14, 2018 06:13am

Whilst in no way detracting from the guilt of the perpetrator, who in their right mind sends a 6 year old out alone to a shop!

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illawarrior

Jan 14, 2018 06:18am

@Khan When my son was 6, he was NEVER left unsupervised. I personally took him to school, where he was supervised by teachers. At home and at play, when I could not be there personally, I ensured adequate supervision by another trustworthy, responsible adult. It is not difficult - no need to lock them up.

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illawarrior

Jan 14, 2018 06:20am

@Dr.Sadaf What an appalling attitude! Of course it is a thief's fault for entering someone else's house and taking things - irrespective of whether house was locked or open. If a decent person sees an unlocked house, he doesn't take it as an invitation to steal.

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Starr

Jan 14, 2018 07:02am

@Anti-Corruption_Pakistan Penetration did not occur does not mean that boy was not molested. I believe the boy.

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Hamza prince

Jan 14, 2018 12:07pm

How the man is danger that he do this on a very young guy.it should be stop

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Hamza prince

Jan 14, 2018 12:08pm

How he can do this yr what a rubish

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ABE

Jan 14, 2018 02:50pm

@Dr.Sadaf So, if a woman walking alone, on her way to work, college, or market is inviting rapists? Does she have a right as any ordinary citizen to go about her business in peace and relative safety, in our society, like any other citizen? She's not harming anyone, nor inviting anyone to molest her. So would you blame her too for being out alone - even if she's a widow, orphan, the only chaild of her parents, lives alone and has no children? How is it her fault to be out alone? Does that give anyone the right to attack her?? Think before you make such blanket statement, blaming the victim instead.

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