Homecoming: Kidnapped woman, son recovered after over a week

Claim they were beaten and harassed by their abductors

KOHISTAN: Police claim to have rescued a woman and her son from kidnappers. According to the police, 16-year-old Sajjad Ahmed Jan, a resident of Gilgit, was travelling with his mother Youn Zehra, 45, to Islamabad in a coaster on November 9 when they were abducted from Pattan in Kohistan.

Zehra’s other son, Junaid, subsequently lodged an online FIR accusing Ali Dad, Master Mir Afzal and four others of kidnapping his ailing mother and brother for ransom.



Junaid added the accused had demanded Rs10 million for their release. Last week, Junaid’s brother Waqar returned from Saudia Arabia and threatened self-immolation if his mother and brother were not recovered within 24 hours.

Pattan police said the kidnapped woman and her son were eventually recovered with the efforts of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz MPA Sarzamin Khan and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s Abdul Haq. Police said the recovered persons were produced before the court of civil judge Rashid Rauf Swati on Monday where they recorded their statements.

Later, Sajjad told The Express Tribune over the phone that the kidnappers had blindfolded him and his mother and shifted them to an unknown location where they were watched over by more than 20 men at any given time.



“They beat me and harassed my ailing mother, asking us to ensure our families arrange the ransom,” said Sajjad, adding the accused thrashed him whenever he pleaded to let his mother go as she suffers from kidney problems.

Pattan police officials said the woman and her teenage were taken to Abbottabad from where they will travel on to Islamabad. None of the accused have been arrested as yet.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 19^th, 2014.