Quick action: Hungarian firm’s staffers recovered

Authorities hope MOL will now resume oil & gas exploration in Kohat.

ISLAMABAD: The Kohat authorities have recovered two employees of a multinational oil and gas exploration company who were seized by local Taliban on Thursday.

Gunmen had abducted two employees of Hungarian firm MOL while they were travelling between Hangu and Karak district on Tuesday. The gunmen also traded fire with paramilitary troops escorting the company staff. Six people – including four paramilitary troops – were killed in the encounter. One guard sustained injuries during the ambush.

“The abducted men – a specialist and a driver – were recovered late Sunday night,” a senior official told The Express Tribune. However, he refused to give details of the circumstances that led to the recovery of the pair. “Both of them have now reached their homes,” the official added.

They were identified as Fayyaz–ur-Rehman Khattak, a manager of the Hungarian company, named MOL, and his driver Kalam.

The authorities have also recovered another person who was abducted by the militants a few days ago, he said. “He is a close relative of provincial minister Amjad Afridi,” the official added.

The authorities hoped that after the recovery of its employees the MOL will resume operations at the Maramzai gas field in Tal Block as early as possible.

The company had stopped operations at the field asking the government to ensure security of its staff and assets. Janos Feher, Managing Director of the MOL, had asked the federal and provincial governments for safe and secure working conditions at the oil exploration area.

“We are duty bound to provide necessary protection to the MOL employees and its installations,” Khalid Umerzai, Commissioner Kohat, told The Express Tribune.

The administration has provided 30 to 35 paramilitary FC troops for the security of the MOL employees, Umerzai said. “Let me assure the MOL management that the number of the security personnel will be increased if the company makes such a request,” he added.

The Maramzai oil and gas well has the capacity of 40 million cubic feet and was producing 1,600 barrel crude oil daily. The company withdrew its staff from the well site immediately after the ambush to avoid any further loss.

On Sunday, the authorities had hinted at the involvement of Shah Abdul Aziz, a former lawmaker from the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (Samiul Haq Group) and his followers among the Taliban in the incident.

But after the recovery of the two men, they said Aziz was not involved in any way in the incident.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 25^th, 2011.