Abducted serviceman, relatives return home

Lt Col Ameer and his relatives were kidnapped on August 28 while attending a funeral in Dera Ismail Khan.

RAWALPINDI:

Lieutenant Colonel Khalid Ameer and his relatives, who were abducted in Dera Ismail Khan district, have been safely released and have returned home, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).

"The safe and unconditional release of Lt Col Khalid Ameer and three of his relatives has been se-cured," the ISPR said in a brief statement on Saturday. The military's media wing credited the key role played by tribal elders and local notables in facilitating their release.

Lt Col Ameer and his relatives, including a nephew, were kidnapped on August 28 while attending a funeral in Dera Ismail Khan. The outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility for the abduction but did not publicly disclose their demands.

In a short video released by the captors, Lt Col Ameer stated, "We are safe and well and in the custody of the Taliban in a remote area where the Pakistani government has no control." Two armed men in traditional attire were visible in the background, with their faces deliberately obscured.

Lt Col Ameer appealed to the government and higher authorities to promptly meet the Taliban's demands for their release, though he did not provide specifics in the video.