Rescue mission: Police kill two kidnappers before rescuing abductee

KARACHI:

Two alleged kidnappers were killed in an encounter with the police during a raid conducted at their hideout to recover a kidnapped landlord.

The encounter took place when the Special Investigation Unit (SIU) of the Karachi police, in collaboration with the Citizens Police Liaison Committee (CPLC), raided the kidnappers’ hideout, in the early hours of Saturday, located near the Super Highway in Dumba Goth.

According to SIU officials, the kidnappers opened fire at the SIU police personnel, forcing them into retaliation.

“After an exchange of fire, two of the kidnappers were killed but a few of their comrades managed to escape,” SIU chief SP Farooq Awan claimed. SP Awan said that, before succumbing to their injuries, the kidnappers informed the police about the location of the abductee. The deceased kidnappers were later identified as 40-year-old Abdul Haq alias Mir Bugti, and 32-year-old Zulfiqar Ali. SP Awan further said that deceased kidnappers hailed from Balochistan where they were also involved in various criminal activities.

Awan revealed that, on the information provided by the kidnappers, the police managed to recover the abducted landlord, Niaz Shafiqur Rehman. The landlord, who is a resident of Jacobabad, was kidnapped from Sohrab Goth nearly 10 days ago. “I fell in love with a girl to whom I talked over the phone and she called me to Karachi,” said the landlord. “However, as soon as I reached Karachi, her companions kidnapped me.”

The kidnappers had demanded a ransom of Rs20 million from his family for his release. However, CPLC officials said that after negotiations, a ransom of Rs3 million was agreed and the encounter took place when the kidnappers called the family to take the ransom money. Karachi AIG Shahid Hayat announced a reward of Rs500,000 for the SIU party that conducted the successful raid.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 9^th, 2014.