RAWALPINDI: The Federal Investigation Agency took into protective custody two missing children on arrival at Islamabad International Airport from Bishkek, capital of Kyrgyzstan.

The two children had gone missing from Lahore in 2022 and the Interpol Pakistan had issued yellow notices (a global police alert) for their recovery.

As the two children arrived at New Islamabad Airport from Bishkek with their father, they were taken into protective custody on the basis of the yellow notices and subsequently handed over to the Lahore police.

A spokesman for the FIA said that it was the first coordinated operation after implementation of Interpol system with IBMS (Integrated Border Management System).

The new Interpol system was implemented at the airports along with the IBMS system on the directive of FIA Director General Ahmed Ishaq Jah­angir, the spokesman said.

The missing children case was reported to Barki Police Station of Lahore in 2022 when two children, identified as Muhammad Hu­­­zaifah and Ahmed Umais Abid had gone missing.

Later, the Interpol Pakistan issued yellow notices (a global police alert) about the children.

The FIA said that under the new system, the immigration database has been linked to the Interpol database which helped trace the missing children and led to their detention on arrival in the country.

The FIA said that with the help of this system, missing children, stolen passports and suspects wanted for serious crimes around the world will be arrested upon their arrival in the country.

The Interpol Find System was implemented in April this year, the spokesman said.

The successful operation was made possible by close coordination bet­ween Interpol Islamabad and FIA Immigration, Islamabad.

The FIA Immigration Islamabad handed over the missing children to Lahore police.

In November 2022, a case was registered on behalf of the children’s maternal grandfather against his son-in-law Abid Maqsood for threatening his daughter Khadija with serious consequences and expelling her from his house.

Khadija had filed a writ petition against her husband Abid Maqsood in the Lahore High Court to take custody of her children from his husband.

According to sources, Abid Maqsood disappeared with the two children. When the children were not found, the Lahore police approached the FIA Interpol which issued yellow notices for the missing children after completing legal proceedings.

When the children arrived at the New Islamabad Airport from Bishkek with their father, they were taken into protective custody on the basis of the yellow notices.

Published in Dawn, July 19th, 2024