Abducted dam workers: WAPDA accused of backing out from recovery efforts

South Waziristan’s political agent tells PHC the process was near completion.

PESHAWAR:

The political administration of South Waziristan Agency (SWA) on Tuesday accused the Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) of halting its efforts to recover abducted workers.

SWA Political Agent (PA) Shahid Khan informed a Peshawar High Court (PHC) bench the process of recovering the abducted men has almost reached culmination point and the missing workers would have been found. The PA, however, complained Wapda has backed out from the endeavours to retrieve the abductees.

The bench, comprising PHC Chief Justice (CJ) Dost Muhammad Khan and Justice Irshad Qaisar, also observed Wapda’s chief security officer Colonel Mateen had been missing throughout the case.



Additional Secretary Law and Order for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata), Riaz Mehsood told the court Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Governor Shaukatullah Khan had ordered Fata Secretary Law Jamal Nasir to establish a camp in Bannu within two days, following the court’s order.

Mehsood said Nasir has been directed to work with the Bannu commissioner and PAs of both North and South Waziristan agencies to resolve the issue. The governor’s inspection team, formed upon the court’s directions, has also been ordered to investigate and respond within 15 days as to how the abductees were shifted from SWA to North Waziristan.



According to a Wapda representative, Colonel Mateen is in Hyderabad making arrangements for President Zardari’s visit, at which point the bench observed it was not concerned with the president, but with the general public.

“We have no concerns with the President, but with the general public. Tell him [Mateen] to appear, otherwise we will send him to jail,” stated Justice Khan. He issued orders for Wapda’s member finance to appear in person to appraise the court of Wapda’s role in the ongoing search.

The bench also ordered the federal accountant general to stop the salary of Wapda’s member finance if he fails to appear before the court. A “last opportunity” was given to all concerned parties to take solid steps to get the men back. Otherwise, the bench said all those found negligent would be dealt with in accordance with the law.

Eight workers, working at the Gomal Zam Dam project in SWA, were kidnapped in August 2012 by unidentified armed men. In addition to ransom, the abductors have also sought the release of high-profile militants.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 13^th, 2013.