Police recovered two abducted newborns and arrested four suspects, including a couple, in separate operations at Lari Adda and Kohistan Adda. The rescued infants were reunited with their families.
Police records show that 186 abduction cases of minors were reported across Faisalabad district between January and September 25, 2025.
City Police Officer (CPO) Sahibzada Bilal Umar handed over one baby at Police Lines and the other at the child’s residence in Chak 215-RB.
On September 21, a woman from Jhang, Zubaida Munir, was asleep in Lari Adda Park with her children when suspects Sajid and Zahid abducted her five-month-old son, Usman.
Investigations revealed Sajid, a 42-year-old sweet vendor from Rawalpindi, had been childless for eight years after marriage.
Facing pressure within his family, he conspired with his friend Zahid to abduct a child “to bring happiness into his home.”
In a second case on September 23, a woman befriended Kishwar, the sister-in-law of Muhammad Yasin, at Allied Hospital, where Yasin’s wife had recently delivered. Posing as a well-wisher, the suspect later accompanied Kishwar and abducted the baby from Kohistan Adda while pretending to comfort the crying child. Police traced the suspects to Sargodha, where Rashida Bibi and her husband Muhammad Mohsin were arrested and the seven-day-old baby recovered.
Rashida confessed she staged a pregnancy after fears her second husband might divorce her for being childless, and later abducted a baby to claim as her own. Most children were safely recovered; 36 cases have been sent to court for trial.
Psychiatrist Dr Rehan, commenting on the cases, noted that childlessness often leads to social stigma and depression, sometimes pushing individuals to desperate acts. However, he added, “each case is differentwhile one suspect may have acted under psychological distress, the other case shows a calculated criminal motive tied to fear of divorce and inheritance.”
Speaking to The Express Tribune, psychologist Fatima Tahir, who leads child welfare and protection projects in Lahore, stressed that child abductionparticularly of newbornscannot be viewed in isolation from Pakistan’s socio-cultural realities.
“In many families, childlessness carries severe stigma. Women without children may face rejection, domestic violence, or pressure from husbands to remarry. Such circumstances create deep psychological distress and sometimes drive women to desperate actions,” she explained.
She added that inheritance disputes also play a role, with male heirs often targeted by relatives seeking to secure family property.
“Psychological factors are equally significant,” she noted. “Unresolved childhood trauma, neglect, or longstanding family rivalries can push individuals toward abducting or harming children. Gender preference makes matters worse, as sons are more likely to be abducted due to society’s obsession with male heirs.”
Criminal intent, she warned, remains a driving force behind many cases, including child trafficking, illegal adoption, and exploitation in begging rackets.
“In reality, these abductions stem from overlapping causescultural pressures, psychological vulnerabilities, and criminal motives,” Fatima concluded. “Together, they form a complex social and mental health crisis that demands urgent, multidimensional action.”
