Infant abducted from hospital nursery

A 17-day-old baby under treatment was abducted from the nursery ward of Children Hospital in Gami Adda on Tuesday morning, police said.

Cantt Police have registered a kidnapping case against an unidentified woman on the complaint of the infant's father and opened an investigation.

According to FIR No. 750/26 registered at Cantt Police Station, complainant Muhammad Siraj, a resident of Jhangi Syedan, stated that his newborn son had been admitted to the nursery ward since June 17, with the mother, Amina Bibi, staying with him. The complainant said that around 7am, the mother briefly stepped out of the ward. When she returned at about 7.30am, the infant was missing. A subsequent search of the hospital confirmed that an unidentified woman had taken the baby from the nursery. Police said ASI Raja Javed reached the hospital soon after the report, and a case was formally registered at 9.30am under Section 363 of the Pakistan Penal Code.

Initial investigations, including CCTV footage from the hospital and surrounding areas, show the suspect leaving the premises with the infant and boarding a public Suzuki van on the Karakoram Highway. The footage further indicates she travelled some distance before disembarking near Ayub Medical Complex, after which she could not be traced.

Police have obtained additional CCTV footage from the hospital and nearby routes, and multiple teams have been formed to identify and arrest the suspect and recover the child.

The family has appealed to authorities for the immediate safe recovery of the infant.