Thursday 4 March 2010

A girl and her father in Swabi, Pakistan. Kidnapping children for ransom is a growing phenomenon in Pakistan.

Five-year-old Sahil Saeed and his father had been at a relative's house in the Punjab city of Jhelum on Wednesday when robbers raided the home and beat family members.

The attackers are said to have demanded £100,000 ransom for Sahil's return. Local police have launched a major investigation and say they are confident they will find the little boy soon.

The boy's father, Raja Saeed, had been in Pakistan for two weeks visiting his mother with Sahil.

Salma Jafar, Head of Programmes for Save the Children UK in Pakistan, said: "Child kidnapping is a huge problem in Pakistan and is a very traumatic experience for the children and their families. Children may be kidnapped for trafficking for child labour or for sexual exploitation, and are also sometimes kidnapped because of family disputes.

"Kidnapping children for ransom is a growing phenomenon. The ransom amount depends on the family's financial situation. Sometimes, if they cannot pay the ransom that is demanded, it may be many months before they are reunited with their son or daughter.

"Save the Children has recently been working with Lawyers for Human Rights and Legal Aid to provide legal aid to the families of kidnapped children and put them in contact with the police."

Find out more about our work in Pakistan.