Unlikely criminals: Girls dressed as boys held from hospital

MULTAN:

The police on Wednesday took two girls disguised as boys in custody after they were caught picking pockets of attendants of patients at Nishtar Medical Hospital in Multan.

Zulqarnain told newsmen that he took his father to the emergency ward at the hospital and was asked to buy some medicines from hospital pharmacy/

He said while he was waiting in the queue, he felt someone’s hands in his pockets. He said when he turned around, he found two boys behind him. He said security guards searched their pockets and found a mobile phone and Rs10,000 on them.

Cantt police were called to the hospital. It was found that they were girls, aged eight and 10. The girls told police that they had been beggars before they were invited by a gang of thieves to join them and pick pockets of attendants at hospitals. They said at least 10 children were working with the gang.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 17^th, 2014.