Man seeks refund for son’s ransom

A father wants the government to pay him the Rs4 million he gave as ransom for his son’s release.

LAHORE: Chief Justice Khawaja Muhammad Sharif has asked the chief secretary or home secretary to respond to an application from a father who wants the government to pay him the Rs4 million he gave as ransom for his son’s release.

At a hearing on Friday, the chief justice also told an additional advocate general to produce at the next hearing a supposed Sindh High Court order that directed the Sindh government to pay two families Rs4 million, after the families paid that sum in ransom for the release of two additional district and sessions judges.

Chief Justice Sharif observed that under Article 25 of the Constitution, all citizens had equal rights and must be treated without discrimination.

Earlier, the Rawal Town SP for investigations told the court that one of the suspected kidnappers had been arrested but was released when the complainant did not identify him. The chief justice told police to find the suspects and
adjourned the case for September 15.

The judge had taken suo motu notice on an application from Dr Alamdar Hussain, who said his son Athar Alamdar, 11, had been kidnapped on May 9, 2010, and later released on payment of Rs4 million as ransom.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 14^th, 2010.