7,000 miles away lies the sacred shrine of Shah Daula in Varedia, Pakistan. Countless Pakistani women approach this site each year to pray for a child (oftentimes, a son). However, one’s wish is not answered without sacrifice. Women are expected to express thanks to God by donating their first child to the shrine. The tale only spirals from here.

Newborns that are left at the shrine of Shah Dola mysteriously develop microcephaly, a condition entailing a smaller head and underdeveloped brain. Officials at the shrine claim that the illness is genetic, and other medical professionals attribute it to incestual marriages. However, Dr. Qasim Mehdi refutes this genetic argument, stating that it is virtually impossible for these unrelated children to develop microcephaly with no familial history of the disease.

Pirzada Imtiaz Syed – a trade union representative – has heard multiple horrific accounts of abuse associated with the shrine. According to Syed, mafias and gangs centered around Varedia place iron rings around the heads of the newborns, stunting their mental development. The result: thousands of healthy children are robbed of a future and exploited for money. To make matters worse, many of these kids are also subject to physical and sexual abuse.

The title “rat children” emerged in the media due to the brutal dehumanization and exploitation of Pakistani children. The Pakistani government claims to have the situation under control, but underground gangs continue to feed off the blood of innocent children and a society plagued by religious superstition.

The story of Pakistan’s rat children sounds chillingly dystopian, but it marks the reality for thousands living in Varedia. Embedded in a sea of religious delusion and superstition, parents continue to place their healthy newborns at the foot of the shrine of Shah Daula, only for gangs to make money off of their children’s potential. As long as these mafias receive funding and support, the shadow of these overlooked children will haunt Pakistan.

Sources:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/122670.stm

https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/birthdefects/microcephaly.html#:~:text=Microcephaly%20is%20a%20condition%20where,in%20a%20smaller%20head%20size.