The Supreme Court’s constitution bench on Thursday took up the missing child in Quetta for the first time and summoned all the provincial Inspector Generals of Police (IG) in the case.

A six-member bench headed by Justice Ameenuddin Khan heard the case and expressed concern over the rise in child abductions, particularly in Quetta, where protests erupted following the disappearance of a child.

During the hearing, the tribunal summoned all the IGPs and home secretaries of all the provinces for the next hearing.

Justice Jamal Mandokhail expressed concern over the failure to recover the missing child from Quetta, saying that despite the city being paralyzed by protests for six days, the government seemed indifferent. He pointed out that even school children in Quetta took to the streets in protest.

Justice Musarrat Hilali raised questions about the report submitted by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which claimed zero cases of sex trafficking.

She wondered how such a claim could be made when the problem remains rampant. Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar asked if any provincial body or commission was working on the issue of missing children, especially in light of the 18th Amendment, which gave more powers to the provinces.

Justice Mandokhail noted that the entire province of Balochistan was under lockdown due to the kidnapping, but the government did not seem concerned. He further criticized the lack of training of government lawyers on this crucial issue.

The court was also informed that a committee formed by the Supreme Court on child abduction has not taken any concrete action since its establishment in 2018.

The petitioner claimed that the commission was never constituted. In response, the Additional Solicitor General of Balochistan promised to submit a report on the matter.

Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar observed that the court does not need mere reports but concrete action to address child abductions. Judge Mandokhail called for a wider investigation into the situation, questioning why the authorities are not taking more substantial steps to reduce child abductions.

The bench also looked into the role of law enforcement agencies, with Justice Mandokhail questioning the role of the Frontier Corps (FC) in social welfare efforts despite the heavy expenditure allocated to them. Justice Hassan Azhar Rizvi pointed out that children in Karachi were seen begging at traffic signals, raising further concerns about the child’s welfare.

Justice Ameenuddin Khan also expressed dismay at the international issue of Pakistani beggars being sent abroad, calling it an embarrassment to the country.

Later, the first court adjourned the case till November 28, requesting a detailed report on the number of children abducted and recovered across the country.

Schoolchildren organize protests

School children staged a protest at Balochistan Assembly Chowk on Wednesday evening demanding the safe recovery of Muhammad Musawir, a minor kidnapped six days ago from Multani Mohalla area.

Holding placards and banners, the children urged the authorities to speed up efforts to locate the missing boy. “How can we focus on studies in such an unsafe environment?” asked Abdullah, a seventh-grader, as parents expressed growing fears for their children’s safety.

The children’s protest coincided with ongoing demonstrations by political parties, increasing pressure on law enforcement. The demonstrations paralyzed traffic across Quetta, leaving commuters stranded for hours.

Senior administration officials have been summoned to the Balochistan Assembly to brief lawmakers on the progress of the investigation, but authorities remain without leads, deepening public safety concerns.

The kidnapping sparked widespread outrage among citizens, political groups and the business community. Protesters have vowed to escalate demonstrations until Musawir is safely recovered. Political parties, backed by the trader community, have announced plans to block major highways linking Balochistan to the rest of the country.

A province-wide wheel-locking strike is scheduled for November 25 to put additional pressure on the provincial government to ensure the unharmed recovery of the child.