Four teenage boys go missing from Peshawar

One of them calls his parents to tell them not to worry

PESHAWAR: There has been an increase in the mysterious disappearance of teenage boys in the city. So far, at least four boys have gone missing over the past few days.

Four days ago, Hammad, the 16-year-old son of a police driver, went missing from Badabher. Now, three boys – 17-year-old Rehan, 18-year-old Hilal and 19-year-old Zabeehullah – have mysteriously disappeared from Tarnab Farm within the jurisdiction of Chamkani police station.



As the police driver was sure that his son was kidnapped, the parents of Rehan, Hilal and Zabeehullah were not sure what happened to their sons.

“Three days ago, Zabeehullah’s mother gave Rs1,000 to him to buy beef,” a police official said while talking to The Express Tribune on Sunday. “He left the house, but did not return.”

The police official added Zabeeullah’s father blamed the boy’s friends, Hilal and Rehan, for taking him to an undisclosed locaton as the three boys were seen together. However, Hilal and Rehan’s parents also registered a rozenamcha (daily report).

Later, Zabeeullah called at home and told his parents that they had gone for a religious session, tableegh, and would return in a month.

“The boy’s father feared that his son was taken away by militants and could be used in sabotage activity,” the police official said. He added they were investigating the matter.

“Actually, we have been told that a local prayer leader also induced the boys and their whereabouts were unknown,” he said. “Zabeehullah’s father is a government servant and he is right in worrying for his son.”



Suspicions surface

“We know that teenage boys are brainwashed and sent [for sabotage activities], to Afghanistan or to other parts of the country,” another police official said. “It is possible that the [missing] boys are used as suicide bombers so we are looking and each and every aspect of the case.”

He added they have so far registered a daily report in the case, but were seriously investigating into the matter. “The boys had switched off their mobile phones after their disappearance and just called once to tell their parents not to worry about them.”

On the other hand, the police started investigation in the case of disappearance of Hammad as well.

His father feared his teenage son had been kidnapped by someone. Police said Hammad’s father Ikram was a driver in the police department.

“It is possible that the boy left his home but we are trying to investigate the matter further to confirm whether it is a case of kidnapping or something else,” said a police official while talking to The Express Tribune.

Kidnapped

Rehmat Ali, official of FC, was kidnapped by unidentified persons in Hayatabad on Saturday night. He called his family members saying he was kidnapped by the Taliban. Police is investigating the matter. 

Published in The Express Tribune, August 29^th, 2016.