"Kidnappers demand Rs500,000 ransom," says father of abducted boy Sarim

The parents of seven-year-old Muhammad Sarim, who was allegedly kidnapped on January 7, received messages from an international number demanding ransom in exchange for their son's release.

Sarim’s father claimed that his wife received text messages from a Middle Eastern number, demanding a ransom of Rs500,000 to secure the child’s return.

He added that his wife had been receiving such messages since earlier in the day (Thursday).

However, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) attributed the alleged kidnapping incident to an inter-province group, claiming the probe revealed that the number was being used by a gang operating from Punjab. 

Apart from the police investigation, Inspector General Police (IGP) Ghulam Nabi Memon constituted a special unit for missing children, but Sarim’s case was not transferred there so far. 

Moreover, the police did not find any evidence of kidnapping, including any CCTV footage that could provide any clue about the boy’s disappearance. 

On January 7, Sarim, a resident of North Karachi’s Sector 5, went missing while returning home from a madrassa. A First Information Report (FIR) was registered by his parents under Section 364-A (kidnapping or abducting a person under the age of 14) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).

After a week of the incident, Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) have yet to locate the whereabouts of the boy. 

According to the reports, three children, including five-year-old Aliyan and six-year-old Ali Raza, have been reported kidnapped in Karachi within the first 16 days of 2025.