The Peshawar High Court (PHC) ordered officials concerned to recover the kidnapped Gomal Zam workers within seven days.
The orders were directed towards the armed forces, federal interior and defence ministries, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governor and Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) Secretariat to expedite efforts and recover the abducted employees at any cost.
The court said to use any means, even if it meant launching an operation against the abductors in South Waziristan, or meeting their demands.
On August 16, eight men working on the Gomal Zam Dam project were abducted in South Waziristan Agency by unidentified armed men while returning home for Eidul Fitr. One of the workers is reported to be dead.
Hearing a writ petition, a PHC division bench, comprising PHC Chief Justice (CJ) Dost Muhammad Khan and Justice Waqar Ahmad Seth, was informed that efforts were being made to release the workers but the abductors’ demands were extremely high.
Fata Law and Order Secretary Jamal Nasir informed the bench that the kidnapped employees had been shifted to North Waziristan, and that the kidnappers had been demanding Rs160 million as ransom along with the release of 17 high-profile militants.
“Since militants’ foreign income is withering, they have resorted to abducting government employees,” Nasir said, adding that 21 such groups were currently active.
He said that the three sub-tribes of Mehsuds were contacted a day after the incident took place in their territorial jurisdiction. Seven jirgas have so far negotiated with the militant group, but no progress has been made.
CJ Khan said that it was appalling that the incident took place in the presence of such a large number of armed forces. “If it was a minister or bureaucrat, the matter would have been wrapped up much sooner,” he said.
CJ Khan observed that the Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) – that employed the workers – was also reluctant to pay ransom since they were ordinary citizens who had been kidnapped.
The bench said that the state was bound to protect life and liberty of its citizens under Articles 13, 14 and 25 of the Constitution.
“We direct federal ministries of the interior and defence, governor and Fata Secretariat along with the sector commander of the armed forces to take immediate steps and, if necessary, launch an operation to ensure safe recovery of the Gomal Zam Dam abducted workers within a week,” the bench ordered.
The hearing was adjourned till December 19.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 13th, 2012.
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