September 27, 2003	Saturday	Rajab 29, 1424

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ISLAMABAD, Sept 26: The district administration of Chitral is in a quandary over the fate of a married woman kidnapped allegedly by a Karachi-based transporter from Mansehra about one-and-a-half months ago in revenge for his daughter’s court marriage with a relative of the woman.

A meeting between the district government representatives and the notables of Kala Daka, Mansehra, the hometown of the kidnappers, on Thursday failed to resolve the issue and decided to refer the matter to the top leadership of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal.

The kidnappers have demanded that the girl be handed over to them in return for the woman, mother of four.

Sources said the daughter of Mohammad Alam had an affair with Mohammad Hussain, a resident of Garam Chashma in Chitral, who worked in a private hospital in Karachi. They arranged court marriage about one-and-a-half years ago and went into hiding.

In early August, Mohammad Alam, Mohammad Anwar, Shoaib Mufti and Wadood allegedly kidnapped the wife of Zar Beg, a relative of Mohammad Hussain, from his village.

Alam and his men have threatened that more women would be abducted if his daughter was not handed over to them. The father has reportedly put a Rs1 million head money on the girl.

Later in August, the couple arrived in Chitral and sought police protection. The district administration has kept the couple in an undisclosed place since, fearing that they would be killed if allowed to go to the native village of the man.

Karachi and the Mansehra police were contacted for the arrest of the kidnappers.

The Karachi police raided the Patelpara house of the transporter but found it locked.