HYDERABAD, June 9: The well-known surgeon, Dr Muhammad Hussain Leghari, who returned home on Friday last after remaining in captivity of his kidnappers for 55 days, has said that his well-wishers, sympathizers and friends had endeavoured in securing his release. He, however, did not name any of them.

Narrating his ordeal to newsmen at the local press club on Sunday, Dr Leghari expressed serious reservations over the role of police in the affair saying that he had to verify some facts. He did not attribute his release to any efforts on part of police and avoided direct questions about police performance.

He, however, quoted some members of his family as saying that the AIG, Hyderabad region, Abdul Rauf Yusufzai, had played a positive role and made efforts for his safe return home and added that he would talk to press with more facts very soon.

Denying any ransom having been paid to the kidnappers, Dr Leghari said the kidnappers or dacoits were under no pressure from police that could have led to his release.

A haggard Leghari said that the dacoits wanted him to convey to the government that they were ready to surrender, with all their weapons, in exchange for a general amnesty and (administrative) responsibilities to maintain law and order in their respective strongholds.

The surgeon, taking sips of water intermittently, told the newsmen briefly that on Friday last he was made to board a truck at 4.30am which dropped him near Phuleli channel at 6.30am.

About his kidnapping on April 13, he told newsmen that he had to resist a four-men armed gang which overpowered him, looted his wallet and wrist watch and escorted him through the Matiari forest.

He said that the gangsters spoke Sindhi language and appeared to be hailing from the urban part of Hyderabad. He said that he was also made to walk barefoot through the forest and the next day he heard shots being fired apparently by a police party. None of the kidnappers was hurt and shooting stopped shortly afterwards, he he added.

“I had seen a body lying in the jungle and also a man, namely Kazi, in dacoits’ captivity some other day,” he recalled.

The surgeon could not identify the places where he had been kept during the captivity but guessed that the area was a part of Thatta district. He revealed that he passed the nights under the open sky and days in thick bushes while remaining under the guard of armed men in groups which changed duties. They used to call each other with fake names like Hitler, Mawali etc and provide him newspapers, he said adding that they used to listen to the BBC which aired news about his kidnapping twice during the period.

Dr Leghari denied having come across Ghulam Qadir Marri, a landlord of Sanghar. Earlier reports suggested that Marri had played a role in securing the surgeon’s release.

To a question, Leghari ruled out professional jealousy involved in his kidnapping and denied that the arrest of a political activist, Ali Ahmed Palepoto, had come on his pointation.

Our Sanghar correspondent adds: Ghulam Qadir Marri has strongly denied having played any role, direct or indirect, in the release of Dr Muhammad Hussain Leghari.

At a press conference in his village here on Sunday, he denied even acquaintance with the surgeon.

Mr Marri, one of the influential landlords of Sanghar district, said that his name had wrongly been included in the whole affair. He said that there could be a name-sake or some look-alike creating a confusion.

He regretted that irresponsible coverage of the affair had been causing him an embarrassment.