Police swap prisoner for kidnapped cop

Police struck a deal with the kidnappers of a constable, allowing a condemned prisoner to walk free from a local jail in lieu of the freedom of their colleague from the captivity of the dacoits of the Katcha Machka area, sources claimed on Sunday.

They said that death row-prisoner Jabar Lolai was handed over to the dacoits of the Katcha Machka area in exchange for the kidnapped constable Ahmad Nawaz. According to the sources, the dacoits resorted to massive aerial firing upon handover of Lolai to them.

The dacoits had abducted Police Constable Nawaz four days ago during a rocket attack in Katcha Machka. The attack resulted in the martyrdom of 12 officers and injuries to five others.

On Saturday, the kidnappers released a video of Constable Nawaz on social media, in which he appealed to Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz and inspector general of police Dr Usman Anwar for his release.

According to the sources, on Saturday night, the police accepted the demand of the dacoits and released Lolai from the district jail of Rahim Yar Khan and handed him over to the Shar Gang. The police secured the release of Constable Nawaz, who was later transferred to the Machka police station.

Constable Nawaz met with the family at the Office of the Rahim Yar Khan district police officer, where IG Dr Usman Anwar was also present. The IG expressed his happiness at the safe recovery of Constable Nawaz.

He said that every soldier of the Punjab police was important to him, therefore, the recovery of Ahmed Nawaz was his top priority. He added that the police would purge the Katcha area of criminal elements.

The condemned prisoner Jabar Lolai had killed a person named Mahar Sheikh near Nawazabad two years ago. A murder case was registered against him and he was transferred to the district jail.

After the martyrdom of 12 policemen in the Machka area on Thursday, the Punjab government placed bounties on the heads of the most dangerous dacoits. The government notified a bounty of Rs10 million on high-value targets, Rs5 million on dangerous bandits, and Rs2.5 million on those in the third category.

One of the bandits, Shahid Loond Baloch, who carried the head money of Rs10 million posted a video of himself, purportedly calling to the interior ministry. In the video Baloch was sitting in front of the cameras and talking to the people.