Four held for extracting bone marrow from young girls

HAFIZABAD: The police have arrested four persons including a woman allegedly involved in extracting bone marrow and other fluid from backbones of young girls on the pretext of providing heavy amount out of the Prime Minister's Jahez Fund.

The arrested accused were identified as Muhammad Aslam Hunjra, his wife Amina Bibi, Nadeem Iqbal and Irfan.

According to police, Nadeem Iqbal Ghaffari of Mohallah Sharifpura and other accused lured young poor and illiterate girls and advised them to visit the house of Muhammad Aslam Hunjra on Kassoki road where they had set up a so-called clinic for medical checkup.

According to complainant Sarfraz Ahmad, the accused enticed him to send his daughter Kinza to the so-called clinic for medical checkup where they allegedly extracted bone marrow and some fluid from her backbone few days ago and also collected her picture and copy of CNIC for providing her Jahez Fund. Since then, she fell ill and become weaker and weaker despite medical treatment, he alleged.

Thereupon, the police raided the so-called clinic and arrested Muhammad Aslam Hunjra and his wife Amina Bibi and seized a large quantity of syringes, copies of CNIC and pictures of scores of affected girls. The other two members of the gang including ring leader Nadeem Iqbal and Irfan tried to flee when police arrested them after a brief chase.

The main accused Nadeem Iqbal, who posed himself as an employee of DHQ Hospital, confessed that he had extracted bone marrow and other fluid from the backbones of fifteen girls so far and have sold them to one Sajidan employee of the Kidney Ward of the DHQ Hospital Hafizabad.

When questioned, a renowned surgeon admitted that bone marrow can be extracted from the backbone to transplant it for curing Aplaspic Amenia.

Meanwhile, Saira Afzal Tarar, Minister for Health Services, Regulations and Coordination has taken serious notice of the incident and constituted a five-member inquiry committee headed by DC Saleha Saeed.

Other members of the inquiry committee included Assistant Commissioner Imtiaz Shahid Gondal, Medical Superintendent Dr. Rehamn Azhar, DSP Saddar Hafizabad and a representative of Health Department of the Punjab government.