A 10-year-old boy who went missing on Friday from Karachi's Saddar area returned home early on Saturday morning, family members told the media.

According to the family, an unknown person had dropped the child home around the time of fajar prayers and had left immediately without talking to anyone from the household.

The boy's grandmother said that there were no signs of physical harm and the 10-year-old was in good health.

However, police say that they can only classify the disappearance as kidnapping once they record the child's statement and after he goes through a medical examination.

After his return, the family members of the child said that the boy was taken away by a stranger who promised to buy him sweets.

They appealed to the police to take measures to ensure the protection of children.

The minor boy had gone missing on Friday after he failed to return from a seminary he had gone to study at.

His sudden disappearance sparked protests on Burns Road, where residents blocked the road and burned tyres.

Traffic in the area was suspended and restaurants were shut down as people came out to protest in large numbers.

Contingents of police and Rangers rushed to the site to prevent the situation from deteriorating further. They tried to assure residents of the area that efforts were being made to find the child.

Saddar Superintendent Police (SP) Tauqeer Mohammed Naeem had told Dawn that the minor boy had gone to study at a seminary in the area around 11am and had not returned home.

The lack of protection laws for children in the country has come into question after six-year-old Zainab's body was recovered from a garbage heap in Kasur last week.

Autopsy reports showed that she had been subjected to rape before being strangled to death. The incident sparked demonstrations and protests with citizens demanding the arrest of the culprit.