Pak police station becomes a mourning centre for parents

Pak police station becomes a mourning centre for parents
AGENCE FRANCE PRESSE

LAHORE, DEC 6: A police station in the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore has become a centre of mourning as wailing parents daily sift through clothes, shoes and photographs of 100 children allegedly molested and killed by a maniac who remains at large.

The families began arriving early Thursday soon after police invited parents of missing children to identify the belongings displayed on the open lawns of the Ravi Road police station. "We allowed a couple and asked others to go one by one. But within minutes grieving parents literally rampaged the site," station officer Ashiq Marth said.

"It was a heart-rending scene and even I failed to control my emotions," he said, adding loud cries of frenzied parents could be heard outside the police station.

Marth said scores of people were streaming in daily. "They start screaming and wailing as soon as they recognise the clothes of their children," he said. The belongings were recovered from an abandoned house identified by accused Javed Iqbal, who said he hadkilled 100 children and dissolved their bodies in acid containers. Iqbal has gone missing since making the written confession.

The police plan to keep dozens of shoes, clothes and photographs of his victims as evidence against the self confessed psychopath. Some of the parents who had recognised the belongings made repeated visits. "They come just to see the clothes of their children and mourn," Marth said.

Parents of over 60 children have identified photographs and belongings of their children. Police Chief Saud Aziz said two men had been arrested after they "admitted they were partners in the crime" and participated in the killings of at least 25 children.