Powerless indeed: Parents take to road, say kidnappers being given political refuge

Ali Zakariya’s parents stage a protest at D-Chowk for the recovery of their kidnapped son.

ISLAMABAD:

Parents of a kidnapped boy, Ali Zakariya, staged a protest on Saturday. Joined by members of civil society and doctors, they expressed their anger over what they termed as efforts by certain politicians to protect the kidnappers of their only son.

Waqar Zakariya, an engineer and his wife, who is a doctor, reached D Chowk in front of the Parliament House, along with others and demanded action for speedy release of their son.

Speaking at the occasion, many doctors and civil society members pledged their support for the grieving couple and vowed to continue their efforts until Zakariya was released. They urged the traders to join them too.

“If you remain silent today, you may be the next target of these kidnappers,” said a doctor in his speech at the gathering. He said more people will join in and the parents of the kidnapped boy will not be left alone in this difficult time.  Waqar Zakariya, Ali’s father, told The Express Tribune, “It is difficult for any normal person to sustain this mental torture.”

Visibly shaken but trying to keep his nerves, Waqar appeared hopeful that he would have his son back with him soon. He was, however, disappointed that the authorities instead of acting against the kidnappers were sitting idle. Certain other “quarters”, according to Waqar, were trying to protect the criminals.

“Even if we are ready to pay the ransom, it does not matter. Once you pay them money, the kidnappers keep on demanding more money,” he said.

‘Not a kidnapper’

This protest by Zakariya’s parents comes a day after a huge demonstration by the people of Dhok Paracha near Tarnol against the killing of a suspected accomplice of the kidnappers, Siraj Khan.

Khan was injured in a police raid the other night at the alleged kidnappers’ hideout. The kidnappers had exchanged fire with the police before three of them were arrested. Siraj succumbed to his injuries at a hospital.

His family claimed he was innocent and staged a protest blocking the main GT Road for hours.

However, the police officials told The Express Tribune they had a lucky escape when the kidnappers opened fire as the raiding party was not wearing bullet-proof vests. Police said the area of Dhok Paracha had become a den of criminals and kidnapping for ransom mafia.

Siraj and his accomplices were residents of Swabi District in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P). Most of the settlers in Dhok Paracha are from K-P and are involved in crimes including kidnapping for ransom, said police officials.

Certain politicians from their native town are trying to influence the police to get protection for the kidnappers who had taken Ali to some unknown place in K-P after picking him up from sector F-10 on April 15, said sources in the police.

Siraj was a former employee with Ali’s father and knew him well, according to the police. He used his friendship with Ali to kidnap him, police said.

Sources in police said Ali could be in Mardan District however, it was not certain as they were still interrogating the three suspects they had arrested. They hoped for a quick recovery of the 28-year-old man.

The civil society and doctors have decided to hold another protest on Monday if Ali is not recovered.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 1^st, 2011.