Two teenage girls who had gone missing from the Korangi area of Karachi and were feared to have been kidnapped a few days ago were safely recovered in Lahore on Monday.

Police said they had taken 13-year-old Kinza and 14-year-old Naila into protective custody. They said the two were friends, were obsessed with Korean musical bands, including the one called BTS, and wanted to go to South Korea.

The police said the girls had quietly left their homes after gathering information about how to go to Korea, what difficulties they would face, which train they would take, and how much fare they would pay. They said that the girls also asked a cousin to go to Korea with them, but she refused the offer.

According to the police, initially it was learnt that the friends were inspired by Korean musical bands, wanted to go from Karachi to Lahore, from there to Islamabad and then to South Korea.

Korangi SSP Sajid Sadozai confirmed that the two missing girls had been traced and were in the protective custody of the police at the Lahore railway station. He said the actual reasons for the girls leaving their homes can be clarified only after their statements are recorded. A police team is also leaving to bring the girls from Lahore to Karachi, he added.

The police said that before leaving, both teenagers had created their Google IDs. The girls were also using WhatsApp numbers of their parents and attempts were being made to recover the WhatsApp data, the police said added that the friends were in contact with a third girl. They further said Kinza had also written a letter about the planned escape of her friend Naila and a cousin, Naufal; however, Kinza’s cousin did not go with the girls.

Source: The News