GOJRA/LAHORE : In a horrific act of familial violence, police have arrested close relatives for the abduction and murder of a nine-year-old boy in Punjab. The victim, Abu Bakr, was kidnapped five days ago from Area 339 JB under Nawan Police Station limits in Lahore.
According to police officials, the prime suspects, identified as Malik Zulqarnain Raza and Iqbal, are close relatives of the child. Following their arrest, the accused led investigators to the Seem Nala, where the boy’s body was recovered. The body has been taken into custody and shifted to a hospital for post-mortem examination and legal formalities. The brutal crime has plunged the local community into mourning and severe panic, with residents reeling from the shock of a murder perpetrated by family members.
This incident follows another alarming kidnapping in the region, underscoring a disturbing trend. Just a day earlier, in Chak No. 316 JB of Gojra, a 17-year-old girl named Noreen Bibi was abducted. Her father, Muhammad Amin, registered a case at the Sadar Police Station, stating that his daughter had gone to a nearby shop to buy groceries when she was forcibly taken by individuals, including a man named Sakhawat, who were armed at the time. The girl remains missing.
The back-to-back kidnappings—one ending in a tragic murder and the other with a girl still missing—have created a climate of intense fear among residents in both Lahore and Gojra. The murder of young Abu Bakr, allegedly at the hands of his own relatives, has particularly shaken societal trust, raising urgent questions about child safety and familial security. Police are investigating motives in both cases while communities demand swift justice and enhanced protection.
