The Karachi police chief on Thursday ordered officers to take effective steps for the recovery of missing children amid a string of recent cases.

Three children were recently kidnapped from the city, which prompted the Sindh chief minister and home minister to take notice and order the police to take practical measures for their immediate recovery.

Two children were abducted by a couple riding a motorcycle in Garden while a third one was kidnapped from North Karachi on January 7. The third child was found dead in the underground water tank of a residential complex near his home on Saturday with the police now treating the matter as a murder case after a post-mortem report confirmed that he was subjected to sexual assault before being killed.

Karachi Additional Inspector General of Police Javed Alam Odho chaired a meeting of senior police officials today at his office to review the cases of missing/kidnapped children.

He said patrolling should be enhanced and action against criminal elements should be expedited.

The meeting’s participants also reviewed law and order and traffic management in the city.

Odhi also issued instructions for ensuring the security of important installations, police establishments and foreigners. He further directed that illegal bus stands and encroachments should be removed immediately for traffic’s smooth flow.