RAHIM YAR KHAN: Two minor sons of a senior doctor were on Friday kidnapped on their way to school by two unidentified armed men at Khanpur, some 45kms from here.

According to the first information report (FIR), Shayaan Hassan (11) and Subhan Hassan (6), sons of former medical superintendent of the Khanpur Tehsil Headquarters Hospital, Dr Hassan Mehmood, were going to school located in Model Town-B area in a car driven by the doctor’s driver Lal Khan.

As per the driver, their car was intercepted by another car occupied by two armed men who allegedly kidnapped the boys at gunpoint and drove away in the presence of some passersby.

The Khanpur city police registered the FIR (377/23) under section 363 of Pakistan Penal code against the unidentified kidnappers.

A CCTV footage of the incident shows a car overtaking the doctor’s car (carrying the two children) on a busy road, two armed alighting from it talk to the driver and later shift the children into their vehicle and drive away.

District Police Officer (DPO) Rizwan Umar Gondal, on being informed of the incident, reached Khanpur and took briefing about the incident from local police.

The DPO later told the media that some progress had been made in the kidnapping case, but he won’t share it with reporters immediately as it could impact the ongoing investigations.

The Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) local chapter condemned the incident, demanding early recovery of the children.

PMA Punjab Vice President Dr Jam Ghulam Qasim Sabbir told reporters that the association held an emergent meeting that condemned the government for its failure to provide security to people.

“We hope that the kidnapped children will be recovered soon, otherwise we will be forced for call a province-wide strike,” he added.

Similarly, Greater Health Alliance of Sheikh Zayed Medical College Hospital (SZMCH) has also condemned the kidnapping and criticised the police over the rising lawlessness in the district, announcing a strike at the hospital, except its emergency, on April 8 (today), if the children were not recovered within 12 hours.

Meanwhile, PML-N MNA from Khanpur Sheikh Fiaz Ahmed on Friday said on the floor of the National Assembly that dacoits from Kacha (riverine) area in a video message had threatened to kidnap children if their (dacoits’) children were not returned by police.

The MNA demanded the speaker to take immediate notice of the incident and ensure recovery of the children at the earliest.

Two days ago four cloth traders of Multan, also member of Multan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI), were kidnapped by a dacoits gang near Kacha area on Sindh-Punjab border after luring them with a “large quantity of cheap cloth”.

The dacoits are demanding Rs10 million for releasing each of the the kidnapped trader.

Published in Dawn, April 8th, 2023