July 15, 2007	Sunday	Jamadi-us-Sani 29, 1428

LAHORE, July 14: A 20-year-old medical student is the latest victim of the ongoing kidnap-for-ransom spree in the city and elsewhere in Punjab. Sher Afgan of the Allama Iqbal Medical College was reportedly kidnapped from Jehanzeb Block, Iqbal Town, on July 10 when he was on way to a mosque near his house to offer Isha prayers.

His is the third reported case of kidnapping from the city during the current month. In earlier cases, a civil judge and an expatriate were kidnapped and they won freedom after paying ransom in millions.

Both these cases are shocking for the general public and embarrassing for the law-enforcement agencies since they involve a serving judge and an expatriate. The latter was reportedly picked up from the Punjab Institute of Cardiology, Lahore.

Pasrur civil judge Malik Nisar was kidnapped by unidentified people on July 3 near Lahore when he was on way to his hometown Okara. His relatives paid his NWFP-based captors Rs4 million and got him released after 10 days.

British citizen Jan Muhammad was kidnapped by four people from the PIC who drove him to Okara and released him after getting Rs2 million ransom.

In the Sher Afgan case, it is not yet known where the youth has been driven to and what amount his kidnappers have demanded from his family.

According to the FIR lodged by his father Asghar Pervez, Afghan had gone to offer Isha prayers but did not return. His shoes were found outside a house in Sutlej Block when a search was launched after 9.30pm the same night.

The complainant said his son had been kidnapped by unidentified people. The investigation police have so far found no clue to the kidnappers.

A police investigator told Dawn that the family had been contacted for ransom by the captors on July 12. Afgan is a student of MBBS part I. His mother runs a hospital in Jehanzeb Block.

Iqbal Town SPO Rai Zameerul Haq told this reporter that some unidentified people had dragged Sher Afgan into their car at gunpoint when he was going along with his brother to offer Isha prayers.

Asked if the suspects had contacted the family for ransom, he said the family had received no phone call from the kidnappers till July 12, adding that he was not aware of any further development.

Iqbal Town investigation in-charge Nasir Ali Gill said the family had not told the investigation team about ransom, if any, demanded by the kidnappers.