August 26, 2002	Monday	Jamadi-us-Saani 16,1423

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KOHAT, Aug 25: A former senior vice president of National Bank, Abdul Salam Bhatti, has criticized the provincial home and tribal affairs officials for delaying the recovery of his son abducted last month, and demanded strict action against the administration of the Khyber Agency.

In a statement issued here Mr Bhatti regretted that the concerned authorities recovered Arshad, the nephew of the deputy secretary of home and tribal affairs department from the same place where his son and cousin were being kept by the tribesmen in Bara tehsil of the Khyber Agency.

While deploring the government attitude he said his son and his companions were kidnapped on July 30 whereas the nephew of the deputy secretary was abducted four days later but the authorities conducted an operation in the said area and got released the latter after holding successful negotiations with the kidnappers.

Arshad, the nephew of the deputy secretary who was released on Aug 13 told him that his son, Amir Bhatti, Tahir and the driver was alive and they spent 13 days together in the same room. In the appeal he also stated that he and his wife were heart patients and would die if their son was not recovered immediately. He underwent heart bypass four months back and was also a diabetic.