Missing minors found dead in Islamabad

ISLAMABAD: A minor child who disappeared nearly four days ago in the Bhara Kahu area of the federal capital was found dead Tuesday, a police spokesman confirmed, adding that the four suspects in the case were arrested.

The four-year-old boy had been kidnapped outside his home in Dhok Jilani, Bhara Kahu, four days ago, and an initial information report (FIR) had been recorded at the Bhara Kahu police station. Two of the arrested suspects, identified as Hamza and Aftab, confessed after being interrogated that they kidnapped the child and kept him in a rented house.

However, when the police arrived home, they found the boy dead. The victim's hands and mouth had been etched and kept in a closet, causing him to suffocate and die, the spokesman said.

The police officer added that Hamza, one of the arrested suspects, was a cousin of the father of the four-year-old boy and kidnapped him to the rescue. The other three suspects, Aftab, Yasir and Asad, were his friends.

No bailout requests were made to the deceased's family.

On Sunday, several users on social networks posted news about the child, asking the authorities to act.

He was "only 5 years old. It's cold outside and it's been more than 24 hours," one said. Another wrote: "Nobody can imagine the pain and agony of parents and 5-year-old siblings."

Twitter users also tagged human rights minister Shireen Mazari, Islamabad deputy commissioner Muhammad Hamza Shafqaat and senior police officers from the federal capital and Punjab.