Lost boy Abdullah’s father is alive

KARACHI/KHANEWAL: Abdullah’s father is alive. It was earlier reported that he had died due to a heart attack.

Muhammad Iqbal, 69, Abdullah’s father lives in Khanewal, but he had earlier lived in Karachi for several years. Iqbal is mentally unstable, a Geo News correspondent in Khanewal confirmed.

Iqbal had married twice. Abdullah’s mother Haleema was his second wife. From his first wife Iqbal had two daughters and two sons, a source said.

Iqbal had divorced Haleema six months ago, the source added.

The prime suspect in the case which now involves a murder is Rizwan, the same man who brought Abdullah to the Edhi Centre.

Body thought to be of Abdullah’s mother recovered

The body of a woman thought to be Haleema, Abdullah’s mother was recovered from a small apartment at the cluttered Delhi Colony by police at 2:00 AM on Tuesday after neighbours complained of a stench emerging.

The apartment was occupied 15 days ago by the family of two. Real estate agent Rizwan had brokered the deal. Neighbours said that a week ago they heard loud voices in the house, after which there was silence for days at a stretch.

About three months ago Haleema had left her residence in Korangi. They had left for Punjab, police investigation said.

Police had initially said that Haleema had left to seek treatment for her ailing husband Iqbal.

When she returned with Abdullah to Karachi she first lived at Mehmoodabad, and then rented an apartment at Delhi Colony, police said.

Postmortem reports of Haleema do not reveal the cause of death. However it appears that the body is several days old.

Haleema's family in Mansehra claims that they had called her one week ago on her mobile phone but Rizwan had picked up the phone instead of Haleema.

Main suspects missing

Meanwhile, Rizwan is missing. A mobile number that Rizwan had left at the Edhi Centre had been switched off, police said. His house where he lived with his wife Sonia has been lying empty.

A case against Rizwan and Sonia has been registered at the Frere Police Station.

Police arrested Sonia for questioning on Thursday. Sonia claimed that she did not Rizwan's whereabouts. She said that Haleema, Sonia and Rizwan lived in the same house in Mehmoodabad. During this time Rizwan and Haleema developed friendship. She added that sometime later Rizwan got Haleema an apartment in Delhi Colony.

Abdullah misses her mom

Abdullah spends his days at the Edhi Centre, thronged by visitors and journalists, who hear about the case on television and social media.

A Geo News reporter said that the child misses his mother a lot. Every time he sees a visitor he says, “Mama jana hai- I want to see my mother”.

After pictures of Abdullah made the rounds on television Haleema’s mother and sister contacted the Edhi Centre.

His stepmother, Iqbal’s first wife are also expected to arrive in Karachi, a Geo News reporter in Khanewal said.

However, Saad Edhi, at the Edhi Centre has said that Abdullah will not be handed over to a guardian without a court order.