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Original poster

really surprised there is no thread about the 5 yo British boy kidnapped in Pakistan.

211 replies

wannaBe · 04/03/2010 18:12

Sorry - unable to copy/paste links atm.

But basically the house was broken into, the family were beaten and went through a six hour ordeal before the kidnappers left with the child who was on holiday with his father.

They are demanding a £100000 randsome.

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seeker · 08/03/2010 11:51

when I think how mumsnet (for example) was flooded with messages of condolence when Jade Goody died, and how mumsnetters usually react to any news item involving children, I just find the lact of messages of hope and support in this case profoundly depressing.

Original poster
wannaBe · 08/03/2010 12:02

I do agree with that seeker. It's very odd.

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giveitago · 08/03/2010 14:30

Yeah me too hence my posts. MN seems to be so much in the news for being the bastion of parenthood.

Given this I'm not so sure that it's representative of me and my concerns.

Did see a report that they feel that Sahil may have been taken out of the country. IN which case ransoms are not part of it - that makes me worry even more.

My ds isn't yet 5 - but sahil's photo is of a little boy, innocent, big eyes - A CHILD - a child not safe and sound.

gherkinwithapurplemerkin · 08/03/2010 17:27

He may have been found apparently. Hope so.

Original poster
wannaBe · 08/03/2010 17:46

very odd - there is a story in the dm from about an hour ago saying that a boy had been found and quoting some police officer as saying that he would be found within fifteen minutes, but nothing anywhere else - not even sky - home of the "let's break the news before it's even been broken."

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Original poster
wannaBe · 08/03/2010 19:40

still nothing.

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Hulababy · 08/03/2010 20:19

wannabe - the DM story was a false alarm. Police in area but there for an entirely different reason. They are (or were) saying they would ahave him found my midnight though.

However. this story has now disappeared of all the news websites from what I can gather, which is odd. I doubt it is because of lack of media interest. It seems more likely to be that there has been a black out for some reason.

girlsyearapart · 08/03/2010 20:22

very helpful BAFE

my sister has recently taken her ds out of school so he could travel to South America with his Dad to see his Grandad who very nearly died a few weeks ago. If something had happened to him like to Sahil and people had said 'oh well he should've been in school' they would've wished they kept their mouths shut.

seeker · 08/03/2010 21:33

But where are the messages of support and hope? It's as if this family somehow doesn't deserve mumsnet support. I monder why that is?

NonnoMum · 08/03/2010 21:46

Still thinking about that little boy and hope he is found soon.
Haven't seen any news today.
Can't bear to think of a 5 year old being frightened and away from his family...

Original poster
wannaBe · 09/03/2010 09:39

From reuters (sorry am unable to cut/paste links):

"LUM, Pakistan (Reuters) - A five-year-old British boy kidnapped in Pakistan nearly a week ago is alive and police are making progress in the investigation,
a police official said on Tuesday.

Sahil Saeed, who is of Pakistani origin, was abducted last Thursday after gunmen barged into his grandmother's house, held the family at gun-point for hours
and then left with some valuables and the boy.

"The child is safe. We made some progress and hopefully, we'll sort out this case soon," Khalid Mehmood, police superintendent for investigations in the
city of Jhelum, told Reuters.

Interior Minister Rehman Malik said on Sunday that police were closing in on the kidnappers and that the abductors appeared to be close to the boy's family.

Kidnapping is a major problem in Pakistan and many of the crimes go unreported. Police have said Taliban militants use ransoms from kidnappings to fund
their insurgency against the U.S.-backed government.

No sign has emerged that the abduction of the boy, who is from the English town of Oldham, was linked to militants.

Police have said the gunmen took away 150,000 rupees (1,169 pounds) and some gold and later demanded a 10 million rupee 978,836 pounds) ransom.

Police said the kidnappers had been tipped off that the boy and his father were planning to fly home to Britain last Thursday after visiting relatives in
Pakistan."

I can't see why there would be a news blackout about this - I really can't, esp not in this country given the kidnapping has happened abroad.

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giveitago · 09/03/2010 11:10

There might be one in Pakistan however until there is an outcome.

Looks positive though!

Could be they are now known and are simply trying to negotiate their own arrest and trial etc.

Original poster
wannaBe · 09/03/2010 11:17

I dunnow, they've been saying that they're hours away from finding him since Friday.

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NonnoMum · 09/03/2010 11:17

Fingers crossed...

Rhubarb · 09/03/2010 12:45

I've been keeping an eye on the news in the hope they've found him. I come from Oldham.

Today I can't find the story at all.

It could be that they are stopping the reporting of events because they are close to recovering the boy and don't want to scare the kidnappers? Every day that goes by I just think of how frightened that little boy will be. I hope we get some news soon.

seeker · 09/03/2010 12:49

Still hoping. Why is this thread so quiet?

Original poster
wannaBe · 09/03/2010 13:04

maybe, but.. I can understand that updates could be blocked, but there's nothing. No more talk of the family/the relationship between the parents/all the other speculation that was all over the press at the weekend - nothing. And there wouldn't be any reason to block that type of coverage. Not that the media should necessarily be speculating about these peoples' private lives, but the general trend is for the media to do so, so the fact they've suddenly stopped doing so is very odd.

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Hulababy · 09/03/2010 14:39

No update or story at all on BBC; keep checking in each day to see if he has been found. The fact that it has disappeared completely is quite strange; can only assume there is a black out for some reason that we aren't aware. Can't see why the media wouldn't be following story otherwise.

Hope he is safe somewhere and home with his mum and dad soon, poor little lamb.

amidaiwish · 09/03/2010 14:54

placemarking for news. prayers for Sahil x

NonnoMum · 09/03/2010 18:19

Is the lack of update due to blackout? Or has it just gone cold?
Still keeping fingers crossed/praying for little lad.

Even if he is with distant relatives, he would still be frightened.

sprogger · 09/03/2010 18:24

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
wannaBe · 09/03/2010 22:37

I wonder if he actually was kidnapped.

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nickschick · 09/03/2010 22:40

this happened in my home town ....the local paper reports that they have arrested a man in pakistan.

The little boy was visiting relatives in Pakistan with his Dad ,whilst there the house was burgled and the boy taken as they obviosly believe that a ransom will be paid.

the poor little boy understands the language but doesnt speak it.

nickschick · 09/03/2010 22:42

local newspaper report

Original poster
wannaBe · 10/03/2010 09:15

the same article as was published yesterday morning

"found to be alive"?

I realize this is speculation, but I don't believe this child was kidnapped in the true sense of the word. And that "working to solve the case" could be interpreted as "negotiating with the family to return the child to his mother before the foreign office interveen and slap an abduction charge on the father."

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