Newborn ‘sold’ to Punjab recovered; Karachi clinic sealed

Police in Karachi have recovered a newborn allegedly abducted and sold in Punjab, and returned the child to his parents, officials said on Sunday. The case has prompted authorities to seal the clinic where the baby was delivered, as the search continues for two suspects accused of orchestrating the trafficking.

According to police, the child was taken from Zehra Clinic in Memon Goth shortly after birth. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Malir Abdul Khaliq Pirzada said clinic employee Shama Baloch and a woman identified as Dr Zahra were involved in “selling the child in Punjab.”

“Multiple raids have been conducted. Both suspects will soon be apprehended and brought before the law,” SSP Pirzada said, confirming that no arrests have been made so far.

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The case came to light after the infant’s father, Sarang, filed a complaint. His wife, Shehnaz, who had been staying with her parents due to domestic issues, was advised by Dr Zahra to undergo a cesarean section. When the family said they could not afford the operation, the doctor referred them to Shama, who claimed she worked with an organisation helping poor families.

Police said Shama paid the medical expenses and, after the delivery, took the newborn on the pretext of support. However, when Sarang tried to contact the clinic about his child, he was given Shama’s number, which was later found switched off. Fearing his child had been sold, he alerted authorities.

“Shama introduced herself as an NGO worker and convinced the mother that the child would have a better future if handed over,” SSP Pirzada said. “The mother was unaware the baby would be trafficked.”

The inquiry soon revealed that the baby had not been handed over to any NGO as claimed, but was instead sold to a childless couple in Punjab.

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The case has been registered with charges including kidnapping and human trafficking under Sections 363 and Sections 3, 4 and 5 of the Prevention of Trafficking in Persons Act, 2018.

Police confirmed that pressure on the suspects led to the baby being brought back from Punjab. The infant has since been reunited with his parents.

Authorities have sealed Zehra Clinic and are now reviewing whether similar cases may have occurred. The search for the two suspects remains ongoing.