Kidnapped: Prayer leader abducted

Residents believe prayer leader was taken away because he was suspected of working as a spy for the security forces.

PESHAWAR:

A prayer leader was allegedly kidnapped from a local mosque by militants in Bazargai, Frontier Region Peshawar.

Residents said the mosque imam was also a teacher at a government school and was from the Zaka Khel sub-clan of the Hassan Khel Afridi tribe.

“He was at the jamia mosque when the militants entered the area,” said one of the residents. “The men stormed into the mosque and took him away after a beating.” He added that the imam had previously been arrested by security forces and had spent several months in their custody, but was released later.

The residents believe the prayer leader was taken away because it was suspected that he was working as a spy for the security forces. A few days ago, Malik Nawaz of the Mayam Khel clan was abducted from upper Bazargai on similar charges. He was released after villagers organised a jirga and negotiated his release.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 6^th, 2014.