They left, never to return: The case of recovered bodies

Police are clueless about perpetrators and have decided to view each case in isolation

PESHAWAR:

A ghastly trend has emerged in the city after bodies of a large number of children who had disappeared without a trace have started turning up since April. Most of these remains bear a long cut on the abdomen and have set rumour mills churning about the possibility that their organs have been removed.

Furthermore, many children are still missing and the authorities have not ruled out the possibility that they too have met a similar fate.

As questions are raised over the matter, what we are left with are haunting tales of human tragedy.

Whodunnit?

The unfortunate saga began on April 11 when the body of a four-year-old boy was found within the jurisdiction of Banamarhi police station. Later that month, a five-year-old boy Zakaria went missing from Malangabad area. On May 1, Yakatoot police station informed his father about his body that had been recovered from Akbarpura area of Nowshera. The remains bore a cut in the abdomen and prompted suspicions that his organs had been removed.

The police tried to placate Zakaria’s relatives by telling them that the cut had been made while doctors were performing an autopsy. However, the mystery behind the entire case was that the five-year-old’s body was shifted to Khyber Medical College for expert opinion even though facilities to conduct an autopsy were available locally.

“There is no doubt that the child had been killed,” an official of the forensic medicine department at KMC told The Express Tribune. “However, the body was sent to us to determine if the boy had been sexually abused.”

During the same month, Iqra, a resident of Yakatoot, went missing. A week later, her body was found in a canal.

On May 5, two children went missing from Javedabad area. One of them was eventually found in Achini. However, he was unable to tell the police anything substantial to assist the investigation. The other child is yet to be found.

On May 16, 10-year-old Amina, a resident of Mohallah Muhammad Dad in Dabgari, went to school but never returned. A week later her mutilated body was found in Haripur.

On June 1, five-year-old Sudas’ body was found in a canal in Badhu Samarbagh. Faqirabad ASP Bilal Furqan ruled out the possibility of any foul play. On September 1, Badhaber police was informed about a 10-year-old’s body that was found near a canal. Earlier, in July, another  body was found in the same area. Both bodies have yet to be identified.

Without a clue

At this stage, the police are clueless about the perpetrators.

“We are investigating the matter,” an official of Banamarhi police station told The Express Tribune. “So far, we don’t know whether a mafia involved in illegal organ trade has perpetrated these attacks or there is another reason behind these deaths.”

Police has decided to consider each case in isolation, saying the deaths have nothing to do with one another.

Cause and effect

Uzma Mehboob, a rights activist, said illegal organ trade is not a new phenomenon in Pakistan.

“In the past, influential political figures from Punjab have been accused of smuggling human organs from the country,” she said. “There is likelihood that gangs from K-P are also involved in the business.”

Imran Takkar, a child rights activist, said: “We should put aside our speculations on whether illegal organ trade has resulted in these deaths. The fact of the matter is there are some people who are kidnapping and killing children.”

Heart of the matter

SP Rural Shakir Bangash said the body found in Badhaber in September may have reached the canal from Warsak.

“It is possible that someone had killed the boy over a feud with his family,” he said.

“However, there were no surgical cuts on the minor’s body. The remains found in July also did not bear marks of this nature.”

According to Bangash, the bodies have not been dumped in the river.

“If there is any foul play involved, the autopsy reports would have pointed towards it,” he said.

“However, the identity of the deceased could not be ascertained.”

Published in The Express Tribune, September 13^th, 2015.