KARACHI: Family members of two children, who were kidnapped from the Garden area three days ago, staged a protest demonstration outside the Karachi Press Club (KPC) on Friday and also met with Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori for the safe recovery of the minor boys as police have failed to make any progress in the case so far.

On Jan 14, five-year-old Aliyan and six-year-old Ali Raza were playing outside their homes on Siddique Wahab Road in Garden West when a couple on a motorcycle arrived there and took them away at around 1:30pm.

The police registered a kidnapping case on complaint of one of the missing children’s mothers and initiated an investigation but so far, no breakthrough has been achieved.

DIG-South Syed Asad Raza told Dawn that so far, the families had not received any ransom call.

He conceded that there was no ‘progress’ in the case.

The parents and other relatives on Friday held a demonstration outside the KPC, urging authorities for safe recovery of the kids.

On Thursday night, the parents of both the children also met with Governor Tessori and told him that he was the “only hope” for them.

Earlier, the family members of another boy Sarim, who went missing on Jan 7 in North Karachi, also called on the governor and told him their ordeal.

The governor announced establishing a “special cell” at the Governor House for help of the families.

He also made telephone contact with the inspector general of police and Citizen-Police Liaison Committee (CPLC) chief, according to a press statement.

He directed the police to utilise all resources to recover the boys safely. He assured the parents that their children would soon be with them.

Separately, Home Minister Sindh Ziaul Hassan Lanjar talked to City SSP Arif Aziz on phone about the kidnapping of the two children from Garden, a spokesperson said.

The minister directed the police to share pictures of the children with all districts’ police. He also issued directions for strict monitoring at railway stations, bus terminals and all entry and exit points of the metropolis while searching and combing operations were launched in areas in light of intelligence information.

Mr Lanjar also directed the police to share progress reports about the case on a daily basis, added the statement.

Published in Dawn, January 18th, 2025