K-P police lodge kidnap case after 15 years

Police in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa registered a kidnapping case against a former commandant of a paramilitary regiment and some officers associated with secret agencies after a gap of 15 years, according to a copy of the first information report (FIR) submitted in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday.

The case was lodged at the Jamrud Police Station in the Khyber district on the instructions of the IHC over the kidnapping of Haroon Muhammad in 2009. The deputy attorney general submitted the copy of the FIR in the IHC during a hearing of the missing person’s case.

According to the FIR, the Jamrud police registered the case against Col Mujahid Hussain, former commandant of the Mehsud Scouts. Responsible officers associated with secret agencies were also mentioned in the FIR.

Justice Miangul Hasan Aurangzeb heard the petition filed for the recovery of Haroon Muhammad. During the previous hearing of the case, the court had ordered the federal government to pay Rs3 million compensation to the father of the missing citizen.

On Thursday, the federal government sought four weeks' time to pay the compensation amount to the missing person’s family. The court accepted the request, saying that if the compensation amount was not paid, the salaries of the defence secretary and the finance secretary will be attached.

Advocate Iman Mazari said that the petitioner's family was still receiving threats. On that the court ordered for ensuring the safety of the petitioner and adjourned the hearing for three weeks.