Cradle to a garbage dump – unwanted newborns in Sialkot

LAHORE, March 21, 2025: In the dead of night, a silent cry is swallowed by the darkness.

Discarded like trash, a fragile and helpless newborn baby mewls and kicks in the air, yearning for maternal warmth. But the only thing this tiny being will get are the scavenging animals that trample through these garbage dumps, hunting for sustenance.

This is not a scene from a dystopian nightmare. It is a horrifying reality. This time, it was seen in the streets of Sialkot, where the bodies of five newly born babies were dumped in trash, all within a fortnight.

Was their only crime being born a girl?

Bleak numbers

Since 2023, official government data reveals that a total of 17 similar incidents were reported in district Sialkot: within just 14 days of February, five newborns were found lying dead in garbage dumps across the district – all of them were girls.

The numbers speak of a societal order that constantly ignores what is happening – an onslaught of hatred towards the female sex – even though the victims are vulnerable and helpless. The rejection of these babies based on their sex, reveals a deeply misogynist society. But the dumping of these babies shows the heartlessness of those involved. Once found, the sight of their mutilated bodies tells a harrowing story of desperation, stigma, and neglect.

What compels a person to abandon an innocent life in such a cruel and criminal manner, discarding them as if they were mere waste? This is the question that haunts rescue workers, social activists, and law enforcement officials who now face an alarming rise in infanticide – in particular those of females.

Heartbreaking scenes

For the first responders, it is the worst. Habib ur Rehman, an ambulance worker at the government run Rescue 1122, has been the first responder in one of these distressing cases. In an interview with Voicepk, he discloses what he encountered.

“We had received a distressing call about a discarded female newborn body,” he said. “Immediately we rushed to the location, and checked the baby’s vitals. Unfortunately, we found her to be already deceased. So we treated the body with dignity, covering it up before we transported it to the hospital.”

The body, he says was miraculously untouched. But this is not always so.

“In most cases, the bodies we find are severely mutilated by animals,” he says sadly.

Speaking about the number of babies that were recently found in Sialkot’s garbage dumps, an Emergency Officer (Operations), Irfan Yaqub highlights the gravity of the situation.

“Even though we deal with such cases on a daily basis, it is shocking even for us to find five newborn bodies within a span of 15 days,” he says. He explains the emergency response protocol in such situations. “When we receive calls about an abandoned newborn, our first priority is to ensure the child’s safety. If the baby is alive, we immediately transport them to the hospital and hand them over to the Child Protection & Welfare Bureau (CPWB). If the child is deceased, we inform the police, who then take charge of investigating the case and make the burial arrangements.”

It has happened that such incidents have served as life changing for both the infant and the officers.

“In some cases where newborns are found alive, officers from the administration have even stepped forward to adopt these abandoned children,” he says highlighting the humanity that still lives in some hearts.

Social welfare organizations raise alarm

Meanwhile, the issue has not  gone unaddressed by activists. Dr. Khurram Rasheed, CEO of Ummat Welfare Foundation, which provides shelter for children and elders, expresses alarm over the rising trend of child abandonment.

“The number of cases where babies are callously discarded in garbage has been disturbingly on the rise over the past few years,” he reveals. “Sadly, not all of these incidents come to light, making it a grossly underreported issue.”

To further investigate the underlying causes of such incidents, Voicepk spoke to gynecologist Dr. Asma Khurram, who practices privately, and who provided insight into the social and medical aspects of the issue.

“It is not uncommon to witness or hear about cases where newborns are abandoned and left to die. This growing trend is alarming and reflects deeper societal challenges,” she says. “One of the key factors contributing to such incidents is the rise in unplanned and illegitimate pregnancies, particularly among the younger population. Many individuals, fearing social stigma and familial repercussions, resort to abandoning their newborns in extreme desperation.”

Police struggle to track down perpetrators

In an effort to understand the ongoing investigation regarding these particular incidents in sialkot, Voicepk also spoke to Faisal Shahzad, District Police Officer (DPO) Sialkot regarding recent developments.

“So far there have been no arrests in these cases, but the investigation is ongoing,” he says. He elaborates on the challenges that law enforcement has been facing in solving these cases.

“The recent incidents of five newborns being discarded occurred in areas where there are no CCTV cameras, making it difficult for the police to track down the culprits,” he reveals. “But we have also been investigating healthcare workers and private clinics to try and identify those responsible.”

The police is also working closely with the Punjab Forensic Science Agency (PFSA). In response to these tragic cases, the police department is also working on raising awareness among healthcare professionals and midwives.

“We are focusing on an awareness campaign to educate healthcare workers and midwives on reporting such cases before they escalate to such extreme measures,” the DPO added.

Legal custody issues
Sialkot’s District Officer Fayyaz Ahmad Butt of the Child Protection and Welfare Bureau (CPWB) underscores his department’s crucial role in addressing child abandonment cases.

According to Butt, the CPWB is the sole authority responsible for taking custody and ensuring the protection of unclaimed children, as mandated by Article 24 of the Punjab PDNC Act.

“For families interested in adopting an abandoned child, our department streamlines the adoption process through the courts, guaranteeing compliance with the law,” he informs.

A decline in ‘safe surrender cradles’

When Bilquis Edhi introduced the trend of cradles (baby swings) for unclaimed children, her aim was to have unwanted babies treated with dignity, to protect their lives, and also find homes for them later. But over time these cradles no longer exist in many areas.

District Officer Fayyaz Ahmad Butt told Voicepk that an increasing number of people are abandoning unwanted children in garbage dumps rather than bringing them to shelters – mainly due to privacy concerns.

“With the increase in surveillance, people do not want to be identified in such cases, so they discard the children in garbage dumps to ensure there is no record or trace of their identity,” he says. “The presence of CCTV cameras at shelters has further deterred them from safely handing over the infants.”

The disturbing trend of dumping babies is not just limited to Sialkot.

In a recent incident in Lahore on March 20, a newborn girl’s body was discovered in Johar Town’s Ayub Chowk area, prompting police to launch an investigation and search for an unidentified woman believed to be the child’s mother. According to a spokesperson for the Edhi Foundation, local residents alerted authorities after spotting the infant’s body near Ayub Chowk. Police arrived on the scene, recovered the body, and transferred it to the morgue. Initial reports suggest the baby was only a few hours old at the time of her death.

This heartbreaking incident underscores that the abandonment and discard of newborns is a nationwide issue, warranting immediate attention and action from authorities to address the root causes and ensure justice for these innocent lives.

The question remains: will these grim numbers continue to climb, or will a collective awakening finally force a change?