Police detain three women over alleged abduction of newborn from PIMS

Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) Police recovered a newborn safely and detained three women after responding to a reported abduction of the baby from Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) late on Tuesday night.

An official told APP on Wednesday that the Karachi Company Police Station team took immediate action after receiving information that a newborn had allegedly been taken from PIMS Hospital. The police recovered the child safely and took three women into custody for questioning.

According to the initial investigation, the women allegedly approached the baby’s mother and gained access to the newborn by showing affection and care for the child before allegedly taking the baby away.

Sources said the women were residents of Qila Gujjar Singh, Lahore. Two of them were said to be sisters, while the third was reportedly the daughter of one of the women.

Hospital security staff had noticed suspicious activity and responded to the situation, after which the matter was reported to police. The exact sequence of events, including how the women gained access to the baby, was being examined as part of the investigation.

Police said further questioning of the detained women was underway and the circumstances and motive behind the incident would be determined after completion of the investigation.

Read: Abducted infant reunited with parents

ICT Police said it was following a zero-tolerance policy towards crimes against women and children and urged citizens to immediately report any suspicious activity to the police emergency helpline 15.

On August 26, a fire broke out on the third floor of the Mother and Child Hospital at PIMS. Fifteen newborns were in the ward at the time. Fourteen suffered severe burns and later died, while one child survived and was rescued.

Speaking at a press conference following the PIMS fire, Health Minister Mustafa Kamal had raised concerns about the hospital’s security arrangements, saying newborns had been taken from the facility in previous years.

He said a guard had subsequently been deployed at the relevant gate around the clock, with the door opened and closed manually. Kamal said such incidents had occurred at PIMS several years earlier, describing them as cases of “abduction or theft”.