Gomal Zam Dam workers: Families protest for recovery of loved ones, again

Eight months have passed since the men were kidnapped by militants.

PESHAWAR:

Left with no other option but to protest, families of the eight kidnapped workers of Gomal Zam Dam project again asked the government to expedite the recovery of their relatives.

A protest was staged outside the Peshawar Press Club on Tuesday requesting the government to take steps to ensure recovery as they cannot pay the ransom demanded by the kidnappers.

Eight months have passed since the men were abducted by militants while on their way to DI Khan from South Waziristan on August 15. Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) later claimed responsibility and demanded Rs150 million in ransom, threatening to kill the workers if demands were not met.

“We are poor and cannot pay the amount demanded. My wife has become a heart patient since our son Zeeshan went missing,” lamented Mian Rehman Shah.

Matiullah, whose brother Siraj was kidnapped, said the government has not shown any positive response so far. “It seems like they are not interested in the recovery of our family members because we have tried every possible way to tell them about our grievances.”

In the latest effort by the state to recover the workers, the Peshawar High Court on April 9 asked Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Governor Engineer Shaukatullah Khan to hold a meeting with concerned officials.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 17^th, 2013.