No breakthrough yet in Karachi's missing children case

• Sniffer dogs detect possible lead near Lyari.
• Police deny organised child abduction claims.
• Lyari River searched again amid investigation.
  

Weeks after the disappearance of five-year-old Aliyan and six-year-old Ali Raza from Karachi’s Garden area, police remain unable to make a breakthrough despite extensive search efforts.

Speaking on Geo News' programme "Geo Pakistan", SSP City Arif Aziz provided an update on the investigation, stressing that authorities have left no stone unturned in their efforts to locate the children.

SSP Aziz explained that a key challenge in the case has been the absence of CCTV footage or eyewitness accounts, which has made it difficult to determine the exact time and circumstances of the disappearance. 

"Initially, we were working with the assumption that the children went missing between 12:30pm and 1:00pm, and all the work was based on that. Later, we realised the timing might actually be between 1:30pm and 2:00pm. Such timing issues create significant wastage in technical investigations," he said.

The police have conducted multiple search operations across Lyari, Garden, and surrounding areas, including checking manholes, vacant houses, factory zones, and the Lyari River. 

"We have searched these locations three to four times. Sniffer dogs were also brought in from Hyderabad to assist," he added.

SSP Aziz recalled that the police responded immediately after the children’s parents reported them missing. 

"When the parents returned in the evening and reported the incident to the police, the first thing we did was register the report. Then, we first to Lyari river, which is right in front of their house, on the possibility that the children might have fallen in. We also called Rescue 1122 and initiated a systematic search," he said. 

However, police efforts were hindered by the lack of CCTV cameras in the area and frequent power outages affecting footage collection.

Addressing speculation about a potential organised network involved in child abductions, SSP Aziz stated that no evidence has surfaced to support such theories. 

"We have investigated every lead, even rumours, like a man at Abdullah Shah Ghazi's shrine buying children. We thoroughly searched for such a person, deployed decoys, and even had Korangi Police investigate — but no such individual was found," he said.

"Similarly, we received tip that the children were last seen playing near the riverbank, just three days ago, we conducted another full-scale search operation in the area, even using heavy machinery to drain swampy area. We are leaving no stone unturned," he explained.

He acknowledged that despite various leads and extensive search efforts, investigators are still without solid evidence. "Every possibility has been explored," he assured.

SSP Aziz admitted that the investigation would have been more efficient if Karachi had access to advanced forensic and surveillance facilities. "Globally, artificial intelligence (AI) is being used in Dubai and the UAE. We are also moving in that direction with Safe City cameras, but of course these are very neccessary," he said.

Aliyan and Ali Raza went missing on January 14 while playing outside their homes. Their disappearance was reported by Aliyan’s mother, who returned from work to find returned from work to find her son missing. Upon inquiry, she discovered that Aliyan had been playing outside with Ali Raza and neither had returned hom. A First Information Report (FIR) was registered, and extensive searches were conducted across Karachi.

In a recent development, sniffer dogs identified a possible location near Lyari’s Kashti Masjid, and an eyewitness claimed to have seen the children in that area. Following this lead, police launched a clean-up operation in the Lyari River, using heavy machinery to clear sections of the riverbed.

Despite these efforts, the search remains ongoing, and authorities have yet to recover any conclusive evidence regarding the children's whereabouts.