Kidnapped man rescued from Katcha area

Victim was lured through honey trap in September

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PAKPATTAN:

In a major breakthrough, Pakpattan police successfully rescued a villager who had been kidnapped through a honey trap and held captive for six months in the Katcha area.

The kidnappers had demanded a ransom of Rs10 million for his release.

Aslam Murad, a resident of Malika Hans, was lured into the trap and abducted by criminals operating from Katcha. When his family failed to pay the ransom, the kidnappers brutally tortured him and sent distressing videos to his relatives to exert pressure.

Pakpattan Police Officer (DPO) Javed Iqbal Chadhar prioritised the victim's recovery upon assuming charge.

He formed a special team led by SHO Malika Hans Police Station, Afzal Jatoi. The police conducted a rescue operation and freed Aslam Murad after six months of captivity.

A case had been registered against unidentified persons on September 10, 2024, following a complaint by the victim's brother, Muhammad Akram. The FIR stated that Aslam Murad had boarded a bus from Malika Hans to Sukkur but never returned.

His mobile phone was switched off, and later, his family received a chilling video of him in chains, along with a demand for Rs10 million.

In a separate incident, a speeding car collided with a tractor-trolley near Sahiwal Road, 84-D, resulting in two fatalities and three serious injuries.

The ill-fated car, traveling from Bahawalnagar to Lahore, carried a family from Lahore and Sahiwal. The deceased were identified as Sughra Bibi, a resident of Lahore, and two-year-old Zunira Fatima from Sahiwal. The injured were rushed to Teaching Hospital Sahiwal and the District Hospital in critical condition.

Authorities are investigating the accident as grieving family members await further developments.