July 12, 2008	Saturday	Rajab 8, 1429

PESHAWAR, July 11: The local administration has so far failed to recover the four health workers, who were kidnapped by armed men from Sakhi Pul area here on June 10.

A Taliban spokesperson for Mohmand Agency, Dr Asad, when contacted told Dawn that the Taliban were not involved in the kidnapping of the health workers.

“We are going to probe into the matter, as to who had kidnapped the people. Some people are bent upon defaming the Taliban by kidnapping the people,” he said and added that Taliban would take action against those found guilty of the crime.

Dr Asad said that the officials of the health department had contacted Taliban, but they denied having kidnapped the health workers.

Meanwhile, an official of the health department said that EPI Supervisor Attaullah and three other anti-polio vaccinators were still in custody of the militants in Mohmand Agency.

He said that the militants had tied the workers with chains, but then opened them and also served them with food, but declined to release them, as their elders had gone to Bajaur Agency and the decision about the captives’ release would be taken by the leaders.

According to an official of the health department, the workers had visited Mohmand Agency and some areas of Peshawar like Qila Shah Baig, Bara, Angoor, Enzaray and Gara Tajik to administer anti-polio vaccine to the missed children.

“When they reached the Sakhi Pul area the armed men who posed themselves as Taliban had kidnapped them,” the source said.