KARACHI: Two women employees of a private medical facility in Malir — including a doctor — have been booked for human trafficking after they took away a newborn whose family could not afford the medical expenses of the childbirth.

Police said that the baby, who was later sold to someone in Punjab, had been recovered and returned to his parents, while the health facility had been sealed.

On Nov 1, Sarang Khan, the newborn child’s father, lodged a case with Memon Goth police under sections 3, 4 and 5 of the Prevention of Trafficking in Persons Act 2018 and 34 Section of the Pakistan Penal Code.

Memon Goth police officer Fayaz Jokhio told Dawn on Sunday that the baby boy had been recovered from Lahore. “Raids are being held to arrest the nominated suspects,” he added.

In the FIR, Mr Khan told the police he was a resident of a village in Nooriabad and a labourer by trade. His wife (Maheen) was pregnant and she left for her parents’ home after developing some differences with him around three to four months ago.

She was taken to a private clinic in Murad Memon Goth on October 5 by her mother Mrs Shahnaz to deliver the baby.

After the medical check-up, a doctor suggested an operation and asked them to make the required payment.

When Mrs Shahnaz said that they were poor and did not have the money to bear the cost of the operation, the doctor allegedly told them of a woman who would “help the poor and adopt their children”, while also paying for medical expenses.

The complainant claimed that his wife and mother-in-law agreed to this proposal, and the baby boy was handed over to the woman, who turned out to be another employee at the same medical facility.

The complainant claimed that his wife and his mother-in-law kept the incident from him, adding that he came to know through relatives that he was blessed with a male child, but he had been given up for adoption at the hospital.

Published in Dawn, November 3rd, 2025