LANDI KOTAL, Jan 26: Agency Surgeon Dr Zaman Khattak, who was kidnapped about three months ago, was recovered on Sunday night with the help of a tribal jirga.

Family sources confirmed that Dr Zaman reached his home in Kohat late on Sunday night. He was abducted by unidentified gunmen from Jamrud on October 21, 2008 when was going home from Landi Kotal.

Sources said that his abductors were demanding Rs20 million as ransom for his safe release. No group had publicly claimed responsibility for his kidnapping.

Sources said that the doctor's family approached tribal elders in Khyber Agency for his recovery after they lost all hopes from the political administration.

The jirga members held series of discussions with his abductors and succeeded to release him.

The terms and conditions of Dr Zaman release could not be immediately known as his family members and tribal elders were reluctant to talk to media about it.

Meanwhile, family members of a kidnapped official of Khyber Agency political administration have also appealed for his safe recovery.

Political Moharar Haji Meena Dar was abducted from the main Peshawar-Torkham road at Ali Masjid in early December last year. No body has so far claimed responsibility for his abduction.

Many local traders and businessmen, kidnapped for ransom before the start of military operation “Here I Come” in Jamrud on December 28 last year, are still missing.

RELIEF GOODS: Security officials in collaboration with local political administration distributed relief goods among the people affected by the military operation in Jamrud tehsil.

A camp was organised at Shakas locality where officials of Mehsood Scouts and local political administration distributed food items and medicines among 1,500 affected families.

Speaking on the occasion Mehsood Scouts Commandant Colonel Mujahid Hussain said that more such relief camps would be held in areas affected during the military operation. He said that all those innocent residents who suffered any type of losses would be duly compensated.

He claimed to have cleansed Jamrud tehsil of all undesirable elements and said that extreme care was taken to avoid losses to innocent people. He said that the operation would continue till the achievement of specific objectives.

VEHICLE RECOVERED: Activists of militant organisation Lashkar-i-Islam recovered a vehicle after an exchange of fire with unidentified gunmen at Matani on Tuesday.

Sources said that masked armed men snatched a vehicle from its driver in Bara Qadeem area when he was taking women teachers to their homes a week ago.

The women teachers, performing duty in Bara, also complained of misbehavior by the armed men and appealed to the local political administration and Lashkar-i-Islam to provide them security.

Sources said that armed men of Lashkar-i-Islam spotted a suspicious vehicle in Matani during their routine patrolling. When the vehicle was signalled to stop, the inmates of the vehicles started firing at them.

The LI volunteers retaliated and after a brief exchange of fire the unidentified gunmen left the vehicle and made good their escape. The vehicle was later returned to its owner.

Meanwhile, it was also learnt that LI amir Mangal Bagh warned all transporters to remove tape recorders and CD players from public transport vehicles. He threatened to take strict action against those violating the ban on music in public transport.