Punjab Child Kidnapping Scandal turned out to be a Hoax says police and NGOs‏

The disturbing rumours of child kidnappings in the cities across Punjab by organ harvesting mafia that circulated on social platforms are finally declared hoax by the police after several probes. The police department has also backed up their claims with relevant statistics. CPLC and child NGO's working for child protection have also denied this virul news that stirred harassment across the country.

Nonetheless, the scandal indicates a lack of accountability and transparency on social media as well as the absence of critical thinking in our media consumer who cannot separate scams from authentic stuff.

The public fears and frustration over these rumours are demonstrated from the multiple incidents where innocent people are beaten up by masses in suspicion of kidnapping. While the social media consumers  continued to forward the threatening news on the baseless belief that children were being kidnapped and shipped abroad to have their organs removed and transplanted, the public outcry drove Justice Saqib to take sou moto notice. 

According to the daily Dawn, police received several complaints from the public which proved to be baseless on investigations. For instance, police responded  to a call in Phool Nagar that the bodies of seven missing children were found in the fields. The call later proved to be a hoax.

People also tried to settle score with their personal enemies. One Ghulam Husain reported to police that Ashiq had kidnapped and sold children. Later, it emerged that Ghulam Husain and Ashiq had an enmity with each other.

Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Operations, Lahore, Dr Haider Ashraf, has rejected the reports that more than 600 children have been abducted  from the province in recent days. The police report indicated that 767 kidnapping cases were reported in the first seven months of 2016. While 715 children were rescued whereas 52 cases are being investigated at the moment.

The police chief stressed that police had not found any similarity in ‘modus operandi’ of the missing or alleged kidnapping and thus rejected the perceptions of organised gangs involvement.

I believe, if these kidnapping stories are true our vibrant and often boisterous news channels must have already released the video footage of the grieving parents at their very neighbourhoods. 

But if the police reports are true, this kidnapping scandal reveals the lack of critical thinking among our social media consumers who believe every sensational post blindly. And though this absence of critical skills is not specific to Pakistan, people in neighbouring India and even in the western countries like USA and Germany are driven uncritically by mainstream and unauthentic parallel news media, it also reflects a fundamental deficiency in our educational system.

Media Bites Editorial - Tazeen Hasan

 Published August 20, 2016