Kidnapping for ransom : CTD arrests suspect in Kohat

KOHAT: The counter-terrorism department (CTD) has arrested a suspect who was allegedly involved in a kidnapping for ransom in Kohat. According to a handout issued by the department on Tuesday, the suspect was identified as Khushi Mohammad, who hailed from a village in Gujranwala. “He had abducted Fazal Mohammad, son of Khan Mohammad, on January 19,” read the handout. “After kidnapping Fazal, Khushi demanded Rs10 million as ransom for his release.” As per the document, CTD officials conducted a search operation in the area and managed to arrest the accused. Khushi has been shifted to an undisclosed location for interrogation. Further probe is underway

Published in The Express Tribune, March 2^nd, 2016.

Eight abducted in kohat

Source Dawn

The tribesmen of Orakzai Agency kidnapped eight people from Ublan Afghan refugee camp of Kohat for trespassing on their area on Wednesday.

Police said that the kidnapped persons had entered the area of Bezote tribe of Orakzai Agency to collect stones for construction of houses. Four of the kidnapped men were identified as Basharullah, Qismatullah, Sawab Khan and Raeed Khan. The names of remaining four men could not be ascertained.

The Bezote tribe had banned entry of shepherds and labourers for taking soil, stones and wood from their area. The eight men, who had a tractor trolley with them, were collecting stones when the tribesmen took them away. The tractor was found abandoned.

The dispute between the people of Kohat and Bezote tribe over the land erupted in 1971 when the Orakzai Agency was established. Both sides used to kidnap each other’s men.

The administration intervened in the past to avoid clashes between them but many firing incidents have occurred in the area regardless. The residents of Muhammadzai area of Kohat, who had suffered a lot in the dispute, have been demanding demarcation of the boundary and expulsion of Bezote tribe from the disputed land in Kohat.

Kohat raid: Kidnapped child recovered

Source Express Tribune

A child who was allegedly kidnapped for ransom by his teacher was safely recovered by police on Friday after a raid on a house in Kohat district.

According to the police, 10-year-old Tanveer Ali was kidnapped four days ago when he left his house to attend a tuition class. The kidnappers later contacted Tanveer’s family and demanded ransom of Rs1.2 million.

A special police team was constituted to recover the child. In Friday’s raid, police recovered Tanveer and arrested his teacher identified as Waqas. During investigation, the teacher said the student had not paid his monthly tuition fee because of which he abducted the child.

Four villagers kidnapped in Kohat

Source Dawn

Four people who hired a taxi for Peshawar were kidnapped and their vehicle found abandoned near Lado Ustarzai here on Friday, police said.

They said that the victims had been taken to the adjacent tribal area where the police could not go. The victims included Amir, Mirza, Imran and Sattar, all residents of Mosam Khan Banda.

The incidents of kidnapping of innocent people at the hands of militant groups are on the rise. Earlier, the militants had kidnapped three people from Hangu and later killed them following failure to pay ransom.

Dr Matiullah Shah, who was released few months after his abduction from his farm house in Kohat, said that the police did not take interest in investigation of such cases.

Talking to this correspondent, he regretted that since his release the high police officials had been asking him two questions; “how much money did you pay to the abductors and who was the middle man?” Dr Shah said that they were not interested in asking him about the abductors and places where he was kept.

He said that after his release the militants asked him to grow beard and give some time to preaching.

“I asked the militants during my captivity why are they afraid of putting hands on billionaires and rich criminals,” he said and quoted the militants as replying that those people had dozens of bodyguards and it was difficult for them to kidnap such people.

Last month the militants kidnapped two people from Lachi tehsil and were shifting them to Hangu when on their way some armed hunters got suspicious of their activity and surrounded them. They got the victims freed and let the kidnappers flee.

The police later claimed that they had recovered the victims after a search operation.

Two girls kidnapped in Kohat

Source Dawn

Two tribal sisters were kidnapped from a ration collection point on Bannu Road here on Wednesday.

Confirming this, the Junglekhel police said that one Eitbar Gul informed them that his two nieces, Rafeela and Reshma, had gone to Malik hotel to collect ration when an official of World Food Programme Zahir and his accomplices, including Noor Ali, Taj Mohammad and Zafar Gul of Qamar Din Garhi and Lal Din Garhi areas, allegedly took them to an unknown place.

The police quoted Mr Eitbar that he learnt about missing of his nieces when they did not return home after several hours. They said that local people had informed Mr Eitbar about identity of the alleged kidnappers.

The Junglekhel police have registered a case against the accused and raiding various places to arrest them and recover the two girls.

Gunned down: Bullet-riddled body found in Kohat

Source The Tribune

The bullet-riddled body of a man was found in the Sheikhan area of Kohat on Tuesday, according to the police. Syed Qaiser Abedin had been missing since Monday evening, Riaz Shaheed police station SHO Aqiq Hussain told The Express Tribune. He said locals informed them about a body lying by the roadside after which they rushed to the site and shifted the deceased to the police station. “The assailants had killed him and wrapped his body in a sheet,” the SHO added. The national ID card of Hussain was found near the body, helping them identify his name and hometown, Usterzai Payan. Police later shifted the body to Kohat Divisional Hospital for autopsy following which it was handed over to the bereaved relatives, who said Hussain had no enmity with anyone. Police have started investigation.

Kidnapped people released in Hangu

Source Dawn

Hangu police got four people released from kidnappers and arrested an accused on Friday.

The police said that the alleged kidnappers, including Hazrat Daud, Salamat Shah and Mohammad Mustafa of Orakzai Agency, had kidnapped five people from Hangu and demanded Rs5.5 million ransom. Their victims were identified as Amir, Vaqar, Mohammad Israr and Abdul Qadir.

They said that the kidnappers had taken the four to Navidad Mountains and were planning to shift them to tribal area when the police raided their hideout and recovered the victims. An alleged accomplice of the kidnappers was also arrested. The police have registered a case against the accused.

Committee fails to submit report in stipulated time

Source The News

The inquiry committee formed by the chief minister to probe the case of a teenage girl reportedly kidnapped a year ago and repeatedly raped by several persons, including policemen, has failed to submit its report in the stipulated time.

The committee is working at a snail s pace while the girl, Uzma Ayub, is pleading that her life is in danger and is seeking timely justice.

On October 5, Chief Minister Ameer Haider Hoti directed the inquiry committee headed by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa home secretary and having the AIG Police Investigation and Kohat commissioner as members to submit its findings to the government within a week. But the committee took nine days to just record the statement of Uzma Ayub and her brother Alamzeb.

Sources told The News here on Sunday that the committee did complete the identification process on October 14. On the occasion, Uzma Ayub accused Station House Officers Pir Mohsin Shah and Amir Khan and Sub-Inspector Hakeem of arresting her. She also identified the other accused including Nazar Khan, Karim and Dr Iqbal.

The sources said Naseebullah, who is serving in the army and is the main accused in the case, did not appear before the inquiry committee.

Uzma Ayub informed the committee that there were some injury marks on the body of Sub-Inspector Hakeem, who according to her was one of the rapists. The committee also collected information from the accused and recorded their statements.

The police officers in their defence alleged that Uzma Ayub s brother was also involved in some cases. In reply, her brother Alamzeb presented the record of these cases and said he was charged in only one case in 2005 when one of his relatives implicated him. He stressed that he was acquitted in the case after 18 months.

Alamzeb reminded that when he along with his mother raised voice against the injustice with his sister, the police in 2010 implicated him in a mobile phone theft case and also in the case of an untraceable vehicle in Kohat. He said the police were still victimising his family for going public with the complaint against the cops. He said that those who helped their family were also being implicated in false cases.

Alamzeb claimed that the police implicated their lawyer Afsar Khan in false cases for helping their family and filing an application under Section 22A of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) against the accused in the kidnapping and rape case of his sister. He said the police also tortured their lawyer Afsar Khan mentally, physically and financially. After immense pressure, he said, the lawyer abandoned the case.

It may be added that the Child Welfare & Protection Commission and CSO members from Shirkat Gah, Blue Veins, NET, SPARC, Aurat Foundation, ABKT, Khwendo Kor and CRSD are providing legal aid to Uzma Ayub and her family.

These organisations held an emergency meeting when the news of Uzma Ayub s plight appeared in the media and decided to independently probe the incident. The Child Welfare & Protection Commission and CSO members inquiry report also revealed that Uzma Ayub was innocent and had been wronged.

It demanded exemplary punishment to all the accused in the case. It is now up to the government to ensure that the inquiry committee formed by the chief minister completes its work and justice is delivered to Uzma Ayub and her family.

Freed miners still trapped in Tirah

Source Dawn

Four miners, who were kidnapped from Darra Adamkhel along with their 12 colleagues, have been released from kidnappers but they are still trapped in Tirah valley of Khyber Agency owing to blockade of routes in the tribal region, according to sources.
They said that the kidnapped miners were released from the custody of their captors by a tribal lashkar of Kokikhel on August 17. “They are still in the protection of Kokikhel tribe but they cannot be shifted to Peshawar as it is feared that warring militant
groups may kidnap them again,” sources said.
The 12 other kidnapped miners were released few days ago after reportedly payment of huge ransom. The trapped miners include Fazl-i-Haq, Raheemullah, Bakhzada and Taimoor Khan. Their unconditional release is attributed to an operation conducted by Kokikhel tribe in Tirah valley against militants.
The arrival of the victims to their homes was being delayed owing to several reasons, sources said, adding they had been taken far deep into Tirah valley unlike their 12 other colleagues.
“Now they cannot be brought back to Darra Adamkhel or Peshawar through Bara due to safety reasons. There are several armed groups that can try to kidnap them again,” said tribal elders. The elders of Kokikhel tribe have decided to take the released miners to Afghanistan and bring them back through Torkham border to Peshawar and hand them over to government.
It may be recalled that Tariq Afridi group of Taliban Pakistan had allegedly abducted 16 miners from Akhorwal area of Darra Adamkhel on the night of June 10 and whisked them away to remote Tirah valley.
Twelve of the victims were released after 67 days of captivity following successful negotiations among militants, mine owners and Kokikhel elders. The released miners were found in the same place from where they had been kidnapped in Darra Adamkhel. The Kokikhel elders negotiated on behalf of the victims with Tariq Afridi group and also destroyed some of his camps in Tirah valley, according to local sources.
The political administration of Darra Adamkhel, however, told Dawn that all the 16 abducted miners had been released and sent to their homes in Shangla district.Later, it was said that four of kidnapped miners had been freed by militants in Khyber Agency and they would reach their homes within 24 hours. But they are still in Khyber Agency.

Kidnappers kill ex-army officer, cop in Kohat

Source Dawn

Unidentified persons killed a retired army officer after kidnapping him at gunpoint from Defence Colony here on Saturday.
A policeman was killed and two others, including an assistant sub-inspector, were injured during exchange of fire with the kidnappers when they tried to stop their car at Dhoda Chowk.
Eyewitnesses and police said that Col (retired) Shakeel Ahmed Tariq was going to mosque to offer morning prayers when few armed men came in a car and kidnapped him at gunpoint.
The kidnappers also wrapped him in a black burqa, they said, adding that the vehicle was bearing a fake registration number, Islamabad-850.
They said that the armed men tried to whisk away the retired officer to some unspecified place through Dhodha route. They reached Indus Highway Indus Highway but a patrolling vehicle stopped their car as the entire city was sealed after police control room informed law enforcers about the incident.
The kidnappers opened indiscriminate firing at the police patrolling vehicle and killed a constable identified as Amjid Ali Shah. Sub-inspector Chinar Gul and constable Adnan were injured in the incident.
The injured policemen were rushed to KDA hospital for treatment.
After some time police rescue teams started search operation in the area and found the abandoned vehicle of kidnappers at Zero Point on Indus Highway. Police found a dead body wrapped in a burqa in the rear seats of the car.
The family members confirmed that the dead body was of retired kidnapped colonel.
The assassinated retired officer was scheduled to go to Dubai through a flight at 10am on Saturday to meet his family members. His funeral will be held at 10am here on Sunday.
The funeral prayers for the killed constable, a resident of Mandoori village of Kohat, were offered in Kohat Police Lines. Kohat DIG and DPO laid floral wreaths at the coffin of the constable.
Colonel (retired) Shakeel Ahmed Tariq of armoured corps of Pakistan Army had served as president of Inter-Services Selection Board (ISSB) for eight years.
He also served in Military Intelligence as a major. Presently he was running a private academy for imparting training to boys to qualify tests of ISSB.
He was the son of Major (retired) Jalil Shah and brother of Nadra provincial director Col (retired) Aqeel Ahmed. He left behind a window and four children, who are living in Dubai.

Doctor kidnapped in Kohat

Source Dawn

Unidentified armed men kidnapped a doctor along with his driver at gunpoint in Lachi town of the district on Thursday.
The driver was, however, recovered and a kidnapper was injured in encounter with police during search operation in the area. The car of the doctor was also found abandoned near a dam.
According to a statement issued by the district police officer, Dr Javed Ali Shah was still missing and efforts were underway  for his safe recovery.
Officials said that exchange of fire took place in Ghurzandi area and one of the kidnappers identified as Ahmed Niaz, a resident of North Waziristan, was arrested by police in injured condition.
The operation, launched for recovery of kidnapped doctor, was suspended due to darkness and would be resumed in the morning.
Police said that Dr Javed was going to regional health centre for duty with his driver Gul Sahib in his car bearing registration number ID-780 when unidentified persons stopped them and took them away at gunpoint.
Later, District Police Officer Mubarek Zeb Khan arrived at the scene along with police force and launched a search operation in the mountainous region for recovery of kidnapped persons.
They found the car abandoned near Darmalak Dam which was taken into custody and all possible routes of the kidnappers were sealed.
Officials said that it was not possible to trace the kidnapped persons in Lachi town because it was surrounded by mountains.
A health technician was also kidnapped from his quarter near a basic health centre in Dodi Banda in the limits of Lachi police few days ago. He had not been recovered.
Police said that Ghurzandi area of Lachi was infested with criminals and militants and their main source of earning was robberies and kidnappings for ransom.
In the past several operations had been conducted by army and police to flush out criminals from the area but they came back after some time because it was considered a safe route to tribal areas of North and South Waziristan agencies.
Meanwhile, three persons were injured when their rivals opened fire at their car near Rawalpindi Interchange on Thursday.
A car bearing registration number MNP-6521 was coming from Peshawar when four armed men opened fire at it near the interchange on Indus Highway. Bakhtiar, Roman and Zawar Khan sustained bullet injuries in the incidents. They were shifted
to KDA hospital for treatment.

Militants kidnap 18 miners from Darra

Source Dawn

About 100 armed militants belonging to Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) attacked heavily-guarded Darra Adamkhel and kidnapped 18 coalminers from Akhorwal area late on Friday night.
0fficials said that the TTP of Tariq Afridi group, which supports Hakeemullah Mehsud, penetrated into the area in the night from Tora Chinna area, which connects Darra Adamkhel with Khyber Agency.
They abducted 26 miners some of whom were also armed. Some people showed resistance and fired at the militants and escaped from their custody, but 18 men were taken away to Khyber Agency.
The security forces and political administration learnt about the incident on Saturday morning and conducted a search operation for the recovery of the kidnapped miners, who were taken across the tribal borders by that time.
The coalmines were taken over by the armed lashkar of the area when the TTP started collecting monthly tax from the miners and asked them to stop providing any kind of assistance to the army or the political administration. The sources said that the TTP had been killing and kidnapping people of those tribes in the past, who ferried food and water to the security forces trenched in the high mountains.
They said that lashkar men had refused to fulfill their demands and challenged their atrocities in Darra Adamkhel. They said that the opponent Momin Khan Afridi group, which leads the lashkar, had been asking the TTP to end their terror in Darra and threats to the local parliamentarians and businessmen because they were innocent and could not afford to support any side.
The sources said that the TTP of Tariq Afridi tried to kill his opponent, Momin Afridi, and his commanders in a suicide attack at a mosque during Friday prayers in Atariwal area. But Momin Afridi was not present in the area on that day.
Later, the TTP in a telephonic message warned the tribesmen of Atariwal to stop supporting Momin Afridi otherwise more attacks would be conducted against his tribe. The Atariwal sub-tribe of Momin Afridi group lives in the main Akhorwal area of Darra Adamkhel from where 18 miners had been kidnapped.
Momin Khan Afridi group formed a parallel Islami Taliban Momin Afridi Group in 2008 to flush out the TTP.

People block Kohat-Bannu road for man`s recovery

Source Dawn

Workers of Khattak Ittehad blocked the Kohat-Bannu road in Banda Daud Shah tehsil here on Monday to protest against the failure of police to trace and recover a kidnapped man.

Unidentified people have kidnapped Usman, resident of Terri Shaggi, from Banda Daud Shah on June 21. The protesters threatened to expand their protest to other parts of the district if Mr Usman was not recovered within 24 hours. They alleged that the police had been patronising kidnappers in the district.
The KI leaders and workers gathered at Terri Chowk in the morning and blocked the Kohat-Bannu road for traffic for two hours. They raised slogans against the police for failing to control kidnapping incidents in the area.
Speaking on the occasion, KI president Maulana Mir Zaqeem, general secretary Fareed Azam and others said that the police had failed to put hand on the kidnappers and provide security to the people. JUI-F CRITICISED:
Former provincial minister and PML-N leader Malik Zafar Azam has alleged that JUI-F MNA Mufti Ajmal and MPA Malik Qasim Khan were involved in misappropriation of development funds.
Speaking at a public meeting here on Monday, Mr Azam said that the MPA had misappropriated Rs30 million funds and that he had the full support of Mufti Ajmal. He also demanded probe into the misuse of funds.

Oil company employees freed after six months

Source Dawn

The engineer and driver of the Hungarian oil and gas exploration company, MOL, who were kidnapped from here six months ago, have been released, sources told Dawn on Wednesday.

The MOL Company officials while confirming the release of engineer, Abdur Rasheed, and driver, Moin Khan, did not disclose the tribal area from where they were released, and only said they were not allowed by their head office to comment on the case, the sources said.
A convoy of the MOL Company was going to inspect the Marozai gas project in Lachi on January 20, 2011 when unknown gunmen opened fire at it from the mountains of Ghurzandi. Six people, including four FC men who were escorting the convoy, were killed in the ambush. The kidnappers abducted the engineer and the driver of the MOL Company.
The law-enforcement agencies carried out a search operation but did not find any trace of the abductees. The Lachi police registered the case against unknown terrorists on the complaint of one of the FC men.
The MOL Company said the victims were released from tribal agency whose name could not be disclosed due to security reasons. The victims had reached their homes and were in good health, officials said.
KIDNAPPED: Police are yet to get released a brother-in-law of the SHO of Riaz Shaheed police station, who was kidnapped along with the brother of the police officer by the Mishti tribe of the Orakzai Agency a few days ago. The tribesmen later shot dead Ajmeel-ul-Hussain, bother of the SHO Aqeeq Hussain, whose body was recovered in the fields of Maraiwam area.
The sources said the family of the SHO had an old land dispute with the Mishti tribe.
The nephew of Amil Hussain, the kidnapped brother-in-law of the SHO, told the Ustarzai police that the Mishti tribe was involved in the case which had a land dispute with their family. The police have contacted the tribal administration to arrest the accused.
Meanwhile, the physical training instructor of Iqraa Public School and College was shot dead near his house in Hafizabad on Wednesday.
INVESTIGATION: Deputy inspector general of police, Kohat region, has said the inefficiency in investigation of cases is leading to many criminals getting off the hook.
Addressing a high-level meeting to review law and order situation in the three districts of the Kohat division on Wednesday DIG Mohammad Masood Afridi sought stronger cooperation and trust among the police, intelligence agencies and the public for curbing the crime, according to a press release.
Meanwhile, a man was hot dead in Jarma area by unknown armed people the other day.
The deceased, Saifur Rehman was coming out of a mosque when armed men fired at him with automatic weapons.

Two tribesmen kidnapped from Kohat Hangu Highway

Source Dawn

Two tribesmen were kidnapped from Kohat-Hangu Highway near Ustarzai police station by their rivals on late Friday nightThe tribesmen identified as Saeedullah and Wali Mohammad were coming from Zargari area of tribal Orakzai Agency when they were picked up with their car, police said on Saturday.

Later, their car was found abandoned on the roadside. A tribe from Orakzai Agency and another from Marai area of Kohat have been kidnapping each other’s members for last the one year owing to their rivalry. Two shepherds had disappeared few days ago when they crossed from Marai into Orakzai Agency.

Both the tribes have fought several fierce battles in the past, leaving scores of people dead. They used heavy arms like mortar, rocket launchers and anti-aircraft guns against each other in the clashes which lasted for several weeks. They had centuries-old land and religious disputes.

Taliban deny MOL, FC men killing in Kohat

Source Daily News


A militant commander on Saturday denied his group’s involvement in the killing and abduction of the employees of foreign oil and gas company and four personnel of the Frontier Constabulary (FC) from Darmalak area in Kohat district.

Talking to reporters by phone from an undisclosed location, militant commander of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) Hangu chapter, Muhammad Nabi Hanafi said that neither he nor his group was involved in the abduction of the two employees of MOL Pakistan Oil and Gas Company and four FC men from Darmalak area in Lachi tehsil.

“I am not living in Ghorzandi area and have no links with militants arrested in the search operation by the security forces,” the commander said.

He condemned kidnapping of the soldiers and employees of the company and stressed that his group was not involved in such activities.

The MOL employees were on way to Kohat city from their workplace when militants ambushed them in Darmalak village on January 20. Four FC men and two MOL workers were killed in the attack while two others were kidnapped.

Recovery of kidnapped official, his driver sought

Source The News

Relatives of Fayyazur Rahman, the kidnapped official of foreign oil and gas exploration company, MOL, and his driver, Said Kalam, have demanded their safe recovery.


Talking to reporters here Wednesday, Mohammad Suleman and Ataullah said their relative Fayyazur Rahman and his driver Said Kalam had been kidnapped from somewhere in Kohat and Hangu areas.

They added that they had no enmity with anyone and demanded coordinated efforts for their safe release. They said their families were extremely disturbed due to the kidnapping. “We are passing through difficult times. We are hoping that efforts are being made to get them recovered,” Mohammad Suleman said.

VC Islamia College kidnapped by Waziristan Taliban not TTP: Tariq Afridi

Source Online

Central commander of banned Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan Tariq Afridi has said that his outfit is not involved in kidnapping of Vice Chancellor of Islamia College University Peshawar Ajmal Khan.




Talking to a private TV channel TTP commander for Dera Adam Khail and Khyber Agency Tariq Afridi said that his men had kidnapped Vice Chancellor Kohat University Latif ullah Kaka Khel and had demanded release of their arrested accomplices and heavy ransom money in return for release of VC. He said that the government accepting their demand had freed 50 militant and large amount ransom was paid after which Latif Kaka Khel was freed.



Taliban Commander said we are not involved in the kidnapping of Vice Chancellor Islamia College University Peshawar Ajmal Khan, however we are been told that kidnapped Vice Chancellor has been kidnapped by Waziristan Taliban

Militants free KUST VC after 6 months of captivity

Source: The News

Militants on Tuesday freed vice-chancellor of the Kohat University of Science and Technology (KUST) Dr Lutfullah Kakakhel, after six and a half months of captivity.




“Yes, he has been released and first went to the Governor’s House for a meeting with Owais Ahmed Ghani,” Saleh Kakakhel, the eldest son of the released academician, who had been running from pillar to post to secure the recovery of his father, confirmed to The News.



The Kohat commissioner also confirmed the recovery of missing vice- chancellor and said he had been recovered from a tribal area. “We have been making hectic efforts for his release since he was kidnapped. The kidnappers had been shifting him from one place to another. Finally we managed his safe and sound recovery,” Khalid Khan Umerazai, commissioner of Kohat division, said.The recovered senior academician was taken to the Governor’s House amid strict security.



Commissioner Kohat, a source said, had asked Dr Lutfullah a few days before his kidnapping to take proper security measures while travelling through volatile Darra Adamkhel. The vice-chancellor, however, never paid heed to the matter that concerned his security.



It was not known whether ransom had been paid to the kidnappers or the security forces managed to recover the scientist. Sources disclosed the kidnappers were demanding Rs40 million as well as release of some of their men for freeing Dr Kakakhel.



Authorities had arrested 63 tribesmen from Frontier Region Kohat and impounded their four vehicles under Collective Responsibility Section of the Frontier Crimes Regulation in the case. Search operations were conducted in Orakzai and Pastawuna area of Darra Adamkhel as well as other tribal areas in the past six months for the recovery of Dr Lutfullah.



“I am thankful to all those who made efforts for my release,” Dr Lutfullah told media persons. He added that kidnappers had made him hostage to secure release of their men.Hundreds of relatives, friends, colleagues and students of Dr Lutfullah gathered at his residence to greet the vice-chancellor. Many broke into tears after failing to control their emotions.



Dr Lutfullah Kakakhel, in his early 60s, was kidnapped on November 6 last year along with driver Raj Wali and another staff member Nadir Sarfaraz from Akhurwal, Darra Adamkhel on way from office to his residence inside the UoP campus. The two other persons were later freed but he was shifted to an unknown place.



Dr Lutfullah did his PhD from Glasgow University in Scotland in 1978 after which he taught there for few years before returning Pakistan.Two of his children are electrical engineers while another is a student of the KP University of Engineering and Technology. The spouse of Dr Lutfullah is a professor at the Bio-Technology Department of the University of Peshawar.



Meanwhile, Federation of Pakistan Universities Academic Staff Association president Dr Fida thanked the media and all the government functionaries, who highlighted the case of the vice-chancellor and thus played a role in securing his safe release.

Tribesmen get kidnapped man released in Lachi

Source Dawn


Armed tribesmen got released one of the two kidnapped persons after arresting six members of a gang of local kidnappers in Lachi on Sunday.

Fazal Kareem and Waqas belonging to Nasrat Khel were kidnapped on May 1. The tribesmen of a Lashkar from Bagato area of Hangu surrounded the house of the kidnappers and asked them to surrender and hand over the kidnapped persons to them.

On this, the kidnapers opened fire on the tribesmen that resulted in clash between the two groups. Exchange of firing continued for several hours, during which Kareem managed to escape from the custody of the kidnappers.

The alleged kidnappers - Khan Mohammad, Wali Moha-mmad, Luqman, Mohammad Khan, Jehanzeb and Gul Jamal – were arrested by the tribesmen. They also seized four hand grenades, two Kalashnikovs, two pistols, six chargers and hundreds of cartridges.

The armed tribesmen were still camping in the area and had given a deadline to the kidnappers to hand over the other kidnapped man by Monday evening. In case of non-compliance, they threatened to burn the houses and other properties of the kidnappers. —Correspondent