August 22, 2007	Wednesday	Sha’aban 8, 1428

MOHMAND AGENCY, Aug 21: Political authorities on Tuesday freed three young siblings who had been kidnapped in Islamabad some 13 days ago.

The children were held hostage in the Tamanzai area of the Pandyali tehsil. The authorities conducted a raid on the house of Siddiqullah, Inayatullah and Ihsanullah, sons of Musharraf, and freed eight-year-old Irshad, his brother six-year-old Naushad and sister Saibu, 10.

The mother of the children, Ms Shaheen, told reporters that they had been kidnapped from her house in the F-11 sector of Islamabad on August 7.

She said the kidnappers had demanded Rs500,000 as ransom for the release of the children.

She said the kidnappers were their distant relatives.