KARACHI: A child kidnapping racket exploiting minors for begging has been uncovered in Karachi, raising alarms about the growing issue of child trafficking and exploitation.
In a distressing development, a three-year-old boy named Hussain, who was abducted two months ago from Shah Latif Town, was found begging alongside a street beggar. Hussain’s uncle, Nasser, recognized the child while walking out of a mosque after prayers, prompting an immediate intervention.
Nasser recounted that his nephew had gone out to buy snacks when he went missing. “After prayers, when I stepped out of the mosque, I saw my missing nephew with a beggar,” Nasser said.
The beggar, identified as Shehryar, was apprehended by the police, who revealed that he was part of a larger gang involved in abducting children and forcing them into begging.
Shehryar confessed that he earns between 2,000 to 3,000 rupees daily by using the child for begging. He further disclosed that his father-in-law, Sultan, had handed the boy over to him, hinting at a network of individuals involved in the trafficking operation.
Authorities are continuing their investigation to identify other members of the kidnapping gang.
This case highlights the increasing concerns about child trafficking in Karachi, with minors being abducted and exploited by criminal syndicates. Earlier in May, a similar racket was exposed in Hyderabad, where beggars were found exploiting abandoned children for street begging.
The Hyderabad police’s Human Rights Cell arrested 14 women and two men after they were discovered to be in the illegal custody of children, who were forced to beg. During the operation, three children were rescued.
The police and district administration officials stated that the children involved in street begging were neither related to the suspects nor were the suspects able to provide any legal documentation or proof of custody.
These incidents underscore the need for stronger efforts to protect vulnerable children from exploitation and trafficking in urban centers like Karachi.
