Majority of missing children still untraceable, SHC told

Naimat Khan

KARACHI: Sindh High Court (SHC) was Thursday informed that only four of over 20 missing kids in Sindh province have been recovered.

The revelations earned irks of higher court, which reprimanded police for lax attitude towards an important case.

The court was informed that Inspector General of Police (IGP) A.D. Khawaja couldn’t appear so it summoned the provincial police chief by 11am who instead sent Senior Superintendent Police (SSP) Central Muqaddas Haider to represent him before the SHC.

SSP Haider submitted the IGP’s response to the court, saying that of the more than 20 missing children in Sindh, four had been recovered, whereas cases had been registered from the recovery of seven more.

He assured the court that appropriate measures had been taken in this regard.

The additional advocate general, however, maintained that the slow progress in the case was because the IGP had not appointed a high-level officer as lead investigator.

“Children are missing from Sindh, and the IGP is not concerned,” the court observed. “The children should be recovered. This is an alarming situation.”

The court urged the IGP to file a report on the matter on an urgent basis and also directed the Sindh government to do everything in its power to ensure the children are recovered as soon as possible.

The additional advocate general, however, maintained that the slow progress in the case was because the IGP had not appointed a high-level officer as lead investigator. “Children are missing from the province and the IGP is not concerned,” the court observed and ordered, “The children should be recovered. This is an alarming situation.”

The court urged the IGP to file a report on the matter on an urgent basis and also directed the Sindh government to do everything in its power to ensure the children are recovered as soon as possible.