ISLAMABAD: A constable of Islamabad Police has adopted a newborn baby girl who was found abandoned inside a red paper bag in a garbage bin on the outskirts of the federal capital, an official said on Saturday.
Dozens of newborn baby girls are abandoned annually at hospitals or dumped in garbage heaps across Pakistan due to poverty, the desire for a son or births out of wedlock.
Over 4.2 million abandoned and orphaned children are estimated to be without shelter in Pakistan, according to the SOS orphanage. Abandoned children left without care become victims of homelessness, exploitation and physical or sexual abuse.
Police officials in Islamabad were alerted on Friday by locals in the Chatha Bakhtawar area of the city to an infant found abandoned in a garbage dump inside a bag.
“One of our constables, Muhammad Asif, has adopted the girl, and she is in good health now,” Taqi Jawad, Islamabad police spokesperson, told Arab News.
He said a police team reached the spot immediately to rescue the baby following a call from local residents.
“The baby was immediately moved to a public hospital for a medical checkup where she was declared sound and healthy,” he said.
“One of the team members who rescued the infant is issueless,” he added. “So, he has adopted the girl.”
Jawad said the legal process for the adoption of the child was underway, and the documentation was getting completed.
The police spokesperson said the constable had applied for the guardianship of the child with the deputy commissioner’s office to fulfill the legal requirements for adoption.
Police constable in Pakistan’s capital adopts newborn baby girl abandoned in garbage bin
https://arab.news/6argb
Police constable in Pakistan’s capital adopts newborn baby girl abandoned in garbage bin
- Police say the infant is in good health and the constable has initiated the legal requirements for adoption
- Over 4.2 million abandoned and orphaned Pakistani children are without shelter, as per SOS orphanage
China backs Pakistan in fight against militancy after deadly Balochistan attacks
- China is a major ally and investor in Pakistan and has pledged over $65 billion in major infrastructure projects, including in Balochistan
- Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian says ‘we mourn for lives lost, and our hearts go out to injured and those who lost loved ones’
ISLAMABAD: China condemns the recent attacks that killed more than 200 people in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said on Tuesday, reaffirming Beijing’s support for Pakistan in its fight against militancy.
The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) group launched coordinated attacks in several cities across Balochistan on Saturday, killing 33 civilians and 17 security personnel. Officials said 117 militants were killed in skirmishes and follow-up operations.
Balochistan, which borders Iran and Afghanistan, is the site of a decades-long insurgency waged by Baloch separatist groups who often attack security forces, foreigners and non-local Pakistanis and kidnap government officials.
China is a major ally and investor in Pakistan and has pledged over $65 billion in investment in road, infrastructure and development projects under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
“China strongly condemns the [Balochistan] attacks... We mourn for the lives lost, and our hearts go out to the injured and those who lost their loved ones,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said at a press briefing on Tuesday.
“China firmly opposes any form of terrorism and will as always firmly support Pakistan in combating terrorism, maintaining solidarity and social stability, and protecting the safety of the people.”
Chinese nationals working in Pakistan have often been targeted by militants, particularly in the southwestern Balochistan province, where China is developing a deep seaport that is touted as the crown jewel of CPEC.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said last week the attacks, claimed by the separatist Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), were planned from India. New Delhi rejected the allegation as “baseless,” saying Islamabad was attempting to deflect attention from its internal challenges.
Balochistan is home to vast reserves of minerals and hydrocarbons. Separatist militant groups such as the BLA blame Islamabad for exploiting Balochistan’s natural resources and denying locals a share in them. The military and civilian government reject these allegations and say they are investing in the province’s development.
