Rawalpindi teen who fled to Lahore says he was wrong, apologises to father

A 14-year-old boy from Rawalpindi, who had been missing for several days and whose photos were widely shared on social media in an effort to locate him, revealed that he left home voluntarily.

The teenager, Haider Hameed, a resident of Sector 1, Airport Housing Society in Rawalpindi, was reported missing on July 8. Over the following three days, social media users circulated his pictures widely to raise awareness and alert the authorities.

However, there was no information about his whereabouts until last night.

In a video that surfaced online, Haider claimed he had not been kidnapped or taken by force but had travelled to Lahore of his own free will.

“I came to Lahore for freedom,” the teenager said. “No one kidnapped me or brought me here by force.”

In the same video, he alleged that he had run away due to abuse at home, stating that his father had made his life miserable with verbal and physical mistreatment.

“My father's behaviour pushed me toward suicide attempts,” he said. “To escape the violence, I left Rawalpindi and came to Lahore. I don’t want to return.”

However, in a second video released later, Haider retracted his earlier claims and said he was influence by someone when he made those statements. He also apologised to his father and to the people who had been worried about him.

“I have been recovered by my father and I’m safe now,” he said. “I made the last video under influence. I’m really sorry for that to my father and to those who were concerned about me.”

“Now I am stable and returning to my home in Rawalpindi,” he added.