In an unusual case of family reunion, taking place in Rawalpindi (Punjab), a 13 year old boy was reunited with his real/biological parents after his paternity was confirmed by means of DNA fingerprinting. The boy, named Hamza Ali, had been stolen as a newborn from the Rawalpindi General Hospital (now named Benazir Bhutto Hospital) 13 years ago. At that time, Hamza was only 3 days old and had been named Haroon Qureshi by his biological parents, Javed Khan and Yasmeen. He was reported in October 2008 to be living with Faisal Masood and his wife Siddiqa Faisal. A close relative of the Faisals informed the police about this fact and thus the matter went to the court. With DNA fingerprinting as the determining proof, the court decided Hamza (Haroon) to be given over into the custody of his biological parents.

The court’s decision is said to have left Hamza (Haroon) sad and disappointed. He has been living a normal and happy life with the Faisals, believing them his own parents all along. The emotional bonding, thus developed, has been transgressed by the court’s decree. Also, Hamza’s biological father earns a meager amount and is not able to provide many of the life comforts available to the child at his foster parents. While they continue to claim that Hamza is their own/biological son, the case has instantiated the usefulness of DNA fingerprinting technology in Pakistan – though not very cheerful for the teenage boy.