Mystery deepens over recovery of kidnapped Karachi child Azaan

KARACHI: The safe recovery of two-and-a-half-year-old Azaan, who was allegedly kidnapped from Naya Nazimabad in Karachi, has raised several unanswered questions as conflicting statements from the family and police continue to emerge.

The child was reportedly abducted from the housing society located within the jurisdiction of Manghopir Police Station. Police announced on Monday that the child had been recovered safely from the Gharo area.

However, it remains unclear whether Azaan was rescued during a police operation or recovered after being abandoned by the kidnappers and found by local residents.

According to police, the child was recovered during an operation carried out in Gharo on the basis of intelligence information. However, Azaan’s uncle claimed that a local resident recognized the child and informed the family, leading to his recovery.

The child’s mother said neither the housing society’s administration nor the police were able to assist the family during the search. She claimed the child’s photographs and videos went viral on social media over the three days following the kidnapping, forcing the kidnappers to abandon him.

Kidnapped boy Azaan recovered from Gharo

She further alleged that the suspects used an unknown person’s mobile phone to upload a social media post claiming that a two-year-old child had been found crying on a roadside and asking the parents to collect him.

According to the mother, when the family reached the location, local residents gave varying accounts of how the child had arrived there. Some claimed he had been left outside the house during the night, while others said he was found in the morning. Another version suggested that two unidentified men left the child after having tea and food at the house.

The case has become more complicated following contradictory statements from the child’s parents, Karachi police and Hyderabad Range police.

Meanwhile, officials from the CIA’s Anti-Violent Crime Cell (AVCC) said West Zone police had informed them that the child’s father had received a ransom demand of Rs5 million. Under standard procedure, cases involving ransom demands are transferred to the AVCC.

However, AVCC officials said the child was reported recovered within an hour of the alleged ransom call, before the case could be transferred to the specialised unit. They questioned how the child was recovered so quickly if a ransom demand had indeed been made.

Authorities are continuing their investigation to establish the exact sequence of events surrounding the alleged kidnapping and the child’s recovery.