Defying restrictions: Abducted Chinese national did not have NOC, say officials
Kidnapped on May 19, Hong Xu Dong was travelling without prior permission.
Dong was on a cycling tour of the country and was travelling to Balochistan from Peshawar on a bicycle when he was picked up. PHOTO: FILE.
PESHAWAR:
Hong Xu Dong, a Chinese national recently kidnapped from DI Khan, was not carrying a no-objection certificate (NOC) from the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) government, officials told The Express Tribune on Monday.
They said there was a clear policy for foreign nationals travelling across the province, adding all foreigners including tourists, aid workers or people on diplomatic missions are supposed to inform the provincial government and seek an NOC prior to their visit so adequate security arrangements can be put in place.
“We had declared several districts ‘restricted’ for foreigners, but the restriction was recently lifted. However, the provincial government has still declared Tank and Hangu prohibited areas for foreigners,” said an official of the home department. He added an investigation was underway as law enforcement agencies have already launched a search operation to recover the abducted Chinese national.
Dong was on a cycling tour of the country and was travelling to Balochistan from Peshawar on a bicycle when he was picked up from Daraban area, 65 kilometres from DI Khan,at around 2pm on May 19.
Abdullah Bahar, leader of a faction of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, claimed responsibility for the kidnapping and demanded release of their prisoners in return for the tourist.
Police later found the tourist’s passport,but the suspects riding on a motorcycle had abandoned their vehicle in Kot Sultan Jungle and taken the tourist with them.
Earlier on August 15, 2012, employees of the Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) working on the Gomal Zam Dam project had been picked up by armed men while they were on their way to DI Khan from South Waziristan to celebrate Eid with their families.
In addition to ransom, the abductors sought the release of high-profile militants. However, soon after a case was filed with the Peshawar High Court and Wapda eventually paid ransom and recovered the workers in September 2013.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 3rd, 2014.
Hong Xu Dong, a Chinese national recently kidnapped from DI Khan, was not carrying a no-objection certificate (NOC) from the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) government, officials told The Express Tribune on Monday.
They said there was a clear policy for foreign nationals travelling across the province, adding all foreigners including tourists, aid workers or people on diplomatic missions are supposed to inform the provincial government and seek an NOC prior to their visit so adequate security arrangements can be put in place.
“We had declared several districts ‘restricted’ for foreigners, but the restriction was recently lifted. However, the provincial government has still declared Tank and Hangu prohibited areas for foreigners,” said an official of the home department. He added an investigation was underway as law enforcement agencies have already launched a search operation to recover the abducted Chinese national.
Dong was on a cycling tour of the country and was travelling to Balochistan from Peshawar on a bicycle when he was picked up from Daraban area, 65 kilometres from DI Khan,at around 2pm on May 19.
Abdullah Bahar, leader of a faction of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, claimed responsibility for the kidnapping and demanded release of their prisoners in return for the tourist.
Police later found the tourist’s passport,but the suspects riding on a motorcycle had abandoned their vehicle in Kot Sultan Jungle and taken the tourist with them.
Earlier on August 15, 2012, employees of the Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) working on the Gomal Zam Dam project had been picked up by armed men while they were on their way to DI Khan from South Waziristan to celebrate Eid with their families.
In addition to ransom, the abductors sought the release of high-profile militants. However, soon after a case was filed with the Peshawar High Court and Wapda eventually paid ransom and recovered the workers in September 2013.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 3rd, 2014.