November 09, 2006	Thursday	Shawwal 16, 1427

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KOHAT, Nov 8: Local businessmen have expressed concern over the rise in incidents of kidnapping and appealed to the governor to order an operation against criminals in tribal areas responsible for such incidents.

They demanded security arrangements in the ‘B’ areas of the province which lie close to the semi-autonomous Frontier Regions and tribal agencies through which the traders have to regularly travel for business purposes.

Kohat Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Manzoor Ahmed Paracha made these demands following the kidnapping of the son of a wholesale tea dealer in Hangu where he had gone to collect dues from retailers.

Mohammad Iqbal said that his son Musadiq Paracha had gone to Hangu on a weekly visit and he last contacted him on cell phone at 10.30am on Sunday, telling him that he would deposit cash in a bank on Monday.

Mr Iqbal said he waited for his son till Monday evening but when he did not return, he called the retailers and the bank in Hangu. The retailers told him that Musadiq had collected cash from them but the bank officials said that he had not come to the bank.

He was carrying about Rs1 million, his father said.

Till the filing of this report, no FIR was registered and the victim’s family was waiting for a phone call from the kidnappers to start negotiations for Musadiq's release.

The fresh kidnapping incident has occurred hardly a week after the return of another kidnap victim, factory owner Kaleem Paracha, after a four-month captivity.

The rising incidents of kidnapping have caused anguish and fear among the businessmen.

Mr Kaleem told Dawn he had been kept in Bara in Khyber Agency with 47 other kidnapped people, including a seven- year old boy. The kidnap victims belonged to Gujranwala, Lahore, Sargodha, Karachi and different parts of the NWFP and had been in the custody of a single group of kidnappers, some for one year, Mr Kalim added.