Price of law enforcement: 7 policemen kidnapped near Rahim Yar Khan

Search and rescue operation yields no result.

BAHALWALPUR: Seven policemen were abducted on Sunday from a police checkpoint near Rahim Yar Khan, close to the Sindh-Punjab border. Police launched a search and rescue operation but it yielded no results.

An assistant sub-inspector, a head constable and five constables were kidnapped from the checkpoint in the Machka area by the Sultushar gang, said a police official.

An operation was immediately launched to locate and rescue the policemen. The search party also combed the river area with the help of boats.

However, the operation had to be stopped as darkness fell. The search party has set up camp in the locality and will resume their efforts in the morning.

“We have requested additional forces to assist us in the operation,” Rahim Yar Khan DPO Sohail Zafar Chatta said. “We shall succeed in rescuing our colleagues.” He said he was personally monitoring the entire operation.

Until last reports, more than 1,000 police officials from Rahim Yar Khan had been participating in the search and rescue operation. According to the search party, the kidnappers were hiding in the river area.

Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has taken notice of the incident and issued orders to the relevant authorities to immediately rescue the abducted police officials and arrest the criminals behind the kidnapping. He said the kidnappers should be meted out harsh sentences.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has also taken notice of the abduction and issued directives to rescue the kidnapped policemen as soon as possible.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 4^th, 2015.