Six-year-old boy recounts his 61 days in captivity

Aneesur Rehman was kidnapped when he went out to play on Oct 3

SUKKUR: Being held captive by kidnappers for two months was a horrifying experience for six-year-old Aneesur Rehman, the memories of which he might never be able to forget. The boy was recovered by the police on December 1 from the katcha area of Ghouspur District in Kashmore-Kandhkot.

Anees, a student of grade two, was kidnapped from near his home in New Yard, Rohri, on October 3. The boy said he went out to play with other children after returning home from school the day he was kidnapped. Narrating his ordeal to The Express Tribune, he said that after playing for around two hours, he left for home. "When I almost reached home, a car stopped near me and a man got out of it and grabbed me," he said. Anees added that he was so afraid that he could not make any noise. "Instead, I wept silently and the man told me that they were taking me shopping," the boy added.

According to Anees, he does not remember how long they travelled in the car but it by the time they stopped night had fallen. "They stopped the car at a roadside hotel and bought me a piece of cake and some biscuits before starting the journey again," the boy said. The kidnappers finally stopped the car at a deserted area, the boy narrated. He added that from there they all walked a long way and reached a house where they handed Anees over to an elderly woman, who they used to call 'amma.'

According to the boy, there were three men, four women and five children living in that house and all of them were very kind to him. "I often used to ask the men to let me talk to my father and mother, but they never allowed me to," he said. Anees said that whenever he used to ask his kidnappers about going back home, the men always assured him that they would take him home soon.

Surprisingly, Anees said he had no problem living with the kidnappers, because they all took very good care of him, however, he used to miss his parents and siblings. The boy said that whenever he started crying, amma would hug and kiss him, saying that he is her son and she will take care of him.

Speaking about the day he was recovered by the police, Anees said he was playing with the children when he heard suddenly gunshots. The firing was so intense that all the children began to cry and hid under a charpoy, he said. The boy added that after the firing stopped, some policemen charged inside and arrested two of the kidnappers.

After searching the house, the policemen spotted the children hiding under the charpoy. Anees's father, Muhammad Azeem Buriro, was informed of his son's recovery by the SSP office officials. The boy's parents were thrilled about their son's safe return and thanked the police for his recovery. Sukkur SSP Amjad Ahmed Shaikh told The Express Tribune that the kidnappers were demanding Rs2.5 million as ransom from Anees's family. He added that the boy's poor father was unable to even pay Rs10,000.

Anees's parents had registered an FIR at the Rohri police station three days after he went missing.

The SSP said they handled this case with extra care and kept tracing the kidnappers' calls and finally located the suspects' hideout. The safe recovery of the child was our first priority, the SSP said, adding that two of the kidnappers have been arrested, however, they did not disclose their names.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 4^th, 2016.