RAWALPINDI: The body of a four-year-old boy Haider Ali, who disappeared from his grandfather’s house Sunday morning, was found from Ratta Amral on Monday.

According to his father Shahid Mehmood, the child’s grandfather was watching over the boy while his mother was busy with her other children and he was at work. The child’s grandfather told the boy to keep playing in the room while he took a nap. When he woke up a few minutes later, the boy was gone.

Mr Mehmood said that the family tried looking for Haider around the house but found no trace of him. Later, the police were also contacted.

“There was a lot of mud in the area, following rainfall over the last two days, so we looked on the banks of the nullah and other swampy places,” he said.

He said friends and family even searched through a nearby graveyard as Haider had visited the place with his grandfather sometime back.

“We searched the area thoroughly and even visited the spot where the body was later found, two times but could not find any clue,” the father said.

Mr Mehmood said that he suspected that his son was abducted and beaten up by his kidnappers which caused his death.

“When they found the body, his nose was bleeding and there was a torture mark on his forehead,” he said.

Haider’s father said that his son was always happy to spend time with his grandfather and had never wandered off before.

“He had started going to school a few months back and before he was admitted to school, he went to a tutor,” he said.

According to the police, a report regarding the disappearance of the little boy had been registered, and following the recovery of the body, it had been changed to a murder case. The little boy was laid to rest in a local graveyard and a large number of people from surrounding areas attended his funeral.

Published in Dawn, July 14th, 2015

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