Abducted workers: Six FWO labourers freed following jirga efforts

Government must pursue the release of Gomal Zam Dam workers, say protesters.

DERA ISMAIL KHAN:

Six labourers of the Frontier Workers Organisation (FWO), who were kidnapped a week ago, were set free with the help of a jirga in the Sanzala area of Ladha sub-division, South Waziristan.

Wana sub-division Assisstant Political Agent Shahid Ali confirmed their release. “The labourers were released with the help of the jirga, whose role is appreciable,” Ali told The Express Tribune.

The workers, Nawaz Khan, Ghulam Khan, Aslam Khan, Lal Muhammad, Kabal Khan and Rauf, were working for the FWO on the construction of the Wana-Shakai Raod.

They were kidnapped from Inzer Kallay in Shakai village on the night of September 24 by unidentified armed persons. The workers belong to Ahmadzai Wazir and Marwat tribes.

One of the released workers, requesting not to be named, told The Express Tribune that they were not beaten or tortured by the kidnappers, but were warned from working on government projects.

Relatives protest

On the other hand, relatives of eight kidnapped men, who were working on the Gomal Zam Dam project, held a protest near Town Hall, DI Khan.

The workers were kidnapped from the Nill Kach area near Gomal Zam Dam of South Waziristan on August 15.

Protesters said the government should seriously pursue the release of these workers, otherwise they will continue protesting.

Earlier, Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) released a video of the kidnapped workers, in which one of the engineers was shown dead. The workers in the video pleaded the government to fulfil the demands of their abductors.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 1^st, 2012.