KARACHI: Police have registered a case against two women employees of a private medical facility in Malir — including a doctor — on charges of human trafficking after they allegedly took away a newborn from a destitute mother who could not afford the cost of childbirth.
According to police, the infant was reportedly sold to a family in Punjab but has since been recovered safely and returned to his parents. The private medical facility, identified as Zehra Clinic, has been sealed following the shocking revelation.
On November 1, the child’s father, Sarang Khan, lodged a case with Memon Goth Police under Sections 3, 4, and 5 of the Prevention of Trafficking in Persons Act 2018 and Section 34 of the Pakistan Penal Code.
Memon Goth police officer Fayaz Jokhio confirmed on Sunday that the baby boy had been recovered from Lahore. “Raids are being conducted to arrest the nominated suspects,” he said.
According to the FIR, the complainant stated that he was a labourer from a village in Nooriabad. His wife, Maheen, who was pregnant, had been living with her parents after a domestic dispute. She was taken by her mother, Mrs. Shahnaz, to a private clinic in Murad Memon Goth on October 5 to deliver the baby.
After examining her, the attending doctor recommended a cesarean operation and demanded payment for the procedure. When Mrs. Shahnaz explained they could not afford the expenses, the doctor allegedly introduced another woman who “helped the poor and adopted their children” while covering medical costs.
Believing the woman’s assurances, the mother and grandmother reportedly agreed to the arrangement, and the baby boy was handed over to the woman — later identified as another staff member at the same clinic.
The complainant further told police that his wife and mother-in-law concealed the matter from him. He learned through relatives that his wife had given birth to a boy but that the child had been “adopted” through the hospital.
Police believe the suspects may be part of a wider trafficking network exploiting financially distressed families under the pretext of providing aid. The case has been referred to the Anti-Violent Crime Cell (AVCC) for further investigation.
