PESHAWAR, Jan 12: Punjab Sports and Culture Minister Naeemullah Shahani, who went to Miram Shah to visit a friend, has been missing since his arrival in the tribal agency on Jan 10. According to reports, Mr Shahani drove to Miram Shah, headquarters of the North Waziristan agency bordering Afghanistan , in his private vehicle. He visited a friend Abid. When he was on his way back home, he went missing.

The political administration reportedly had taken a number of people into custody, including one Shahjehan, his three friends and a number of his servants.

Zaheerul Islam, assistant political agent of Miram Shah, told Dawn by telephone that Mr Shahani had not informed them (administration) about his visit to the area. He said the minister went missing after he left the agency.

The minister, he further said, entered the agency at 10.40am and left at 3.00pm. "We don't know who had kidnapped the minister as he was not in our jurisdiction."

The Punjab government contacted the NWFP government and asked for the immediate recovery of Mr Shahani. According to Arshad Lodhi, Punjab Minister, Mr Shahani had gone to Miram Shah to offer fateha.

The provincial government had tightened security on all routes leading to and coming from the tribal belt. The government had put the security agencies on high alert.

NWFP Governor Syed Iftikhar Hussain Shah has also ordered the security agencies manning tribal belt to track down the culprits involved in the kidnapping of Punjab minister.

Bhakkar district police officer (DPO) Shahzad Sultan told Dawn by phone that the Bhakkar police squad had received the minister on Jan 9," Our Lahore staff reporter adds.

He said the minister got himself engaged in visiting the families of those killed in a bus accident some days ago. Quoting family members of the minister, Mr Sultan said he had left for Miram Shah to condole the death of some acquaintance. One of his relative and a driver accompanied him to the tribal area, he added.

The DPO said as per protocol and security reasons the minister should have informed the police before moving anywhere, which he did not do. "We are trying to find more facts on it to make the picture clear and for that I have also spoken to officials in the Miram Shah." No clue has so far been found, he added.

Meanwhile, a handout issued Tuesday night quoted Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi as having spoken to NWFP Chief Minister Akram Durrani over the incident.

Assuring Mr Elahi, the NWFP chief minister said some arrests had been made which would help recover the minister at the earliest. However, Mr Durrani said the minister did not inform the NWFP government about his visit. "It would have been better if the minister had informed us in advance."