SAHIWAL: Saddar police of Pakpattan recovered a newborn girl who was allegedly kidnapped and sold to a stage actress of Lahore by two midwives.

On June 18, a girl was born to Iqbal Kousar and Mahboob, residents of Chak 41/SP of Pakpattan, through a normal delivery under the care of midwives, Sakeena and Samina, residents of Chak 40/SP. The maternal grandmother, Lateefan, named the baby as Meerab. On July 3, Samina convinced the illiterate Kousar to accompany her to Sakeena’s house for routine vaccination. Kousar was accompanied by her mother Latefaan and brother Salman. The midwives told Kousar that Meerab was sick and required immediate care in a private hospital of Lahore. Kousar and Latifaan traveled to Lahore for the check-up.

Mahboob, Kousar’s husband, informed Dawn that after reaching Lahore, his wife told him that the baby was in critical condition and she was placed in an incubator in the hospital’s intensive care unit.

According to the midwives, the baby needed to be kept there for two days due to a breathing problem.

The family left the baby in the hospital to take her back later on. On July 6, Kousar and Latifaan learned from the midwives that the baby had gone missing from the hospital. Both the suspects directed them to two men, Shahab Din and Ghulam Haider, who later turned out to be Sakeena’s sons. The suspects offered Kousar Rs100,000 to keep her mouth shut.

The family informed the police and DPO Tariq Walayat directed the Saddar Police to register a case against the suspects who had escaped from the village. However, police managed to arrest Sakeena’s son, Ghulam Haider. During interrogation, he confessed that Meerab had been sold to a childless stage actress, Nigar, in Lahore. Haider helped police recover the baby who was dropped at a shrine near Chak 41/SP within 24 hours.

Sub-Inspector Faisal Hussain said the baby was reunited with her parents at the Saddar Police Station. The police booked Sakeena, Samina, Ghulam Haider, Shahab Din and two unidentified suspects for the kidnap and sale of the girl.

DPO Walayat claimed the police were investigating the case, exploring the possibility of a child trafficking network. The police are yet to arrest both midwives and Shahab Din.

Published in Dawn, July 9th, 2024