A Pakistani mother was reunited with her son, seven years after he went missing, after she found him begging on a street in Rawalpindi on Tuesday, a report in Dawn said.
Shaheen Akhtar got a call from one of her son's friends who later sent a photo which had her son-identified as Mustakeem Khalid-begging with many others at Rawalpindi's Tahli Mohri Chowk. The woman recognised her son- a mentally challenged former policeman- and was reunited with him after seven years.
Akhtar was on her way to visit her relatives with her nephew, when she recognised Khalid begging on Tuesday night. The gang of beggars included two men and three men, who had forced Akhtar's son to beg on the street. The beggars physically assaulted the woman and abused her, when she went to hug her son.
Akhtar said that her son was subjected to torture and given injections by the gang of beggars, who had kept him in captivity.
"A large number of villagers and relatives have thronged my house and everyone is happy and congratulating me on the reunion with my son," she said.
Khalid got married in 2006 and joined the police forces. However, he had to discontinue soon enough after suffering from typhoid fever which impacted his mental health.
Due to the medical condition, Khalid would leave his house and return a few days later, but, on one such day, in 2016 did not come back after leaving his residence. An FIR was filed at a local police station after his disappearance and despite investing time in searching for him, he could not be found.
A police spokesperson said that the gang leader-identified as Wahid-was arrested, along with three other women. Raids were held to arrest the others, involved in the incident.
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