2 reaches to home after payment of ransom to dacoits

F.P. Report

LOWER DIR: The abducted property dealers Haji Hameed Khan alias Hajiano and his friend Zahir Shah safely reached home after his abduction by a gang of bandits in Punjab’s Kacha belt some two months ago. He was given a warm welcome on his arrival to the Timergara city wherein he was also garlanded by his relatives and friends.

Haji Hameed of Koto village in Balambat, according to his relatives, fell prey to the robbers along with his friend Zahir Shah from the Bajaur district when the two reached Punjab to buy a car they had come across through social media at a low price. The bandits released both the abducted youths the other day.

The captors, a few days ago, had released a video torturing both the abducted youths in which the two could be seen crying for help and asking their families to pay the ransom money. A close relative of the released person said that the bandits’ gang from the Kacha area released him when the family paid a ransom amount the figure of which is not known. Several political parties and politicians here are trying to score political points for the release of Haji Hameed.

Pakistan Tehreek Insaf MPA Malik Shafiullah along with MPA Humayun Khan had met the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa inspector general of police Akhtar Hayat Khan at Peshawar a few days ago and informed him about the matter. In a social media message Malik Shafiullah had claimed the IGP had talked to the Sindh IGP and the victim would soon be released.

Similarly, the PPP district general secretary advocate Alam Zeb claimed that they had talked to the PPP central leader Faisal Karim Kundi who had raised the issue with the Sindh chief minister Murad Ali Shah and party chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari. The PPP activist claimed that the abductee was released after his efforts. The Dir Qaumi Pasoon, a body of local elders and civil society also claimed credit for the youth’s release.

The Lower Dir police also claimed the abducted persons were released when they contacted the KP higher authorities of police. However, news about the payment of a ransom amount also circulated on social media platforms. However, the families are tightlipped about the reality.