January 29, 2003	Wednesday	Ziqa’ad 25,1423

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ISLAMABAD, Jan 28: The government has so far been unable to secure the release of three police officials who were allegedly kidnapped by the Bugti tribesmen from Rajanpur.

The interior ministry spokesman, Iftikhar Ahmed, told Dawn on Tuesday that negotiations were being held with the Bugti tribe for the early release of the three officials of Rajanpur police station.

According to a news report, Bugti tribesmen abducted the three police officials when they were patrolling the area along with the gas pipeline on Monday.

The official said so far no headway had been made in the release of the kidnapped police officials. However, he said, paramilitary forces, including rangers, had launched an operation to get them released.

Asked what steps were being taken to avoid damage to gas pipelines in future, the official said that sufficient number of paramilitary forces had been deployed at all sensitive gas installations in Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan.

To a question about the possibility of deployment of army personnel for the protection of gas installations, the official said no such move was in the offing.

Iftikhar Ahmed expressed the hope that following the deployment of paramilitary forces the incidents of blasting of gas pipelines would be controlled.