Missing three-year-old found begging

KARACHI:

A three-year-old boy missing for nearly three months was recovered on Sunday from Shah Latif Town after a chance encounter led to his dramatic rescue. Police have arrested a suspect in connection with the abduction, who allegedly forced the child into begging.

According to police officials, Hussain Ali, a child with an intellectual disability, went missing on May 4 while playing near his home in Sector 17-A of Shah Latif Town. His family launched a search and later lodged a complaint at the Shah Latif Town police station. A formal kidnapping case was registered on May 27 on the complaint of the child's uncle, Nasir Hussain, after earlier recovery efforts yielded no results.

The boy's father, Asif Hussain, a vegetable vendor from Multan, recounted the family's ordeal while speaking to The Express Tribune. He explained that his son disappeared while accompanying him at their roadside stall.

"My son wandered off while I was working. When I returned home shortly after, he was nowhere to be found. We searched everywhere but there was no trace of him. Reporting his disappearance to police was our last hope," he said, adding that the family's distress deepened with each passing day.

Asif described how the uncertainty took a toll on the family, particularly his wife, whose health deteriorated amid the prolonged search. "We kept praying and, by the grace of God, our son has finally been found. We are grateful beyond words," he said.

The breakthrough came when a friend of Hussain Ali spotted him near Farooq-e-Azam Mosque. The boy had accompanied his father for prayers and recognised Hussain Ali outside the mosque with a man, later identified as a professional beggar, who was allegedly forcing the child to beg.

"I saw a suspicious man with a child who looked like my missing friend. I immediately alerted his uncle, who was inside the mosque," the boy said.

Nasir Hussain contacted police, who recovered the child from the scene and arrested the suspect, identified as Shahryar. 

According to Sadaruddin Mirani, SHO Shah Latif police station, initial questioning revealed that Shahryar's father-in-law had allegedly found the child in the Saudabad area. Shahryar admitted to using the boy for begging, claiming he did so to arrange food for him as he was unemployed.

The recovered child has since been reunited with his family, while police continue investigations to determine whether others were involved in the abduction. The family has appealed to senior authorities to ensure a transparent inquiry and to bring all those involved in the incident to justice.