CHARSADDA: A woman was caught red-handed while attempting to abduct a newborn baby girl from the Women and Children Government Hospital in Rajar on Thursday. She was immediately handed over to the police by the people present at the scene.
According to eyewitnesses, the woman tried to take the newborn discreetly but was noticed due to her suspicious behavior. Upon realizing her intentions, the hospital staff and visitors intercepted her and handed her over to the police. The enraged crowd condemned the act, calling it inhumane and un-Islamic.
SHO Waris Khan of City Police Station confirmed that the arrested woman, identified as Khadija, hails from Tangi Tehsil. A case has been registered against her under Section 363 (kidnapping a child) and Section 311 (attempted abduction) of the Pakistan Penal Code.
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Police are investigating whether she acted alone or was part of a larger child trafficking network.
The incident again exposed the poor security arrangements in hospitals across Charsadda. Citizens questioned the hospital administration’s ability to ensure the safety of newborns, arguing that if security personnel had been vigilant, the abduction attempt could have been prevented.
"Such crimes are not only illegal but deeply inhumane. Authorities must ensure stricter security measures to prevent such incidents in the future," said a concerned citizen.
This is not the first incident of newborn abduction in Charsadda hospitals. Over the past year, two separate kidnapping attempts were reported:
The increasing cases of infant abduction have sparked fear and outrage among parents. They blame the hospital administration’s negligence, stating that despite repeated incidents, no concrete actions have been taken.
Citizens have urged the government and police to:
"The authorities must take immediate action before another mother loses her child," a resident demanded.
