KOHAT, July 13: The engineer and driver of the Hungarian oil and gas exploration company, MOL, who were kidnapped from here six months ago, have been released, sources told Dawn on Wednesday.

The MOL Company officials while confirming the release of engineer, Abdur Rasheed, and driver, Moin Khan, did not disclose the tribal area from where they were released, and only said they were not allowed by their head office to comment on the case, the sources said.

A convoy of the MOL Company was going to inspect the Marozai gas project in Lachi on January 20, 2011 when unknown gunmen opened fire at it from the mountains of Ghurzandi. Six people, including four FC men who were escorting the convoy, were killed in the ambush. The kidnappers abducted the engineer and the driver of the MOL Company.

The law-enforcement agencies carried out a search operation but did not find any trace of the abductees. The Lachi police registered the case against unknown terrorists on the complaint of one of the FC men.

The MOL Company said the victims were released from tribal agency whose name could not be disclosed due to security reasons. The victims had reached their homes and were in good health, officials said.

KIDNAPPED: Police are yet to get released a brother-in-law of the SHO of Riaz Shaheed police station, who was kidnapped along with the brother of the police officer by the Mishti tribe of the Orakzai Agency a few days ago. The tribesmen later shot dead Ajmeel-ul-Hussain, bother of the SHO Aqeeq Hussain, whose body was recovered in the fields of Maraiwam area.

The sources said the family of the SHO had an old land dispute with the Mishti tribe.

The nephew of Amil Hussain, the kidnapped brother-in-law of the SHO, told the Ustarzai police that the Mishti tribe was involved in the case which had a land dispute with their family. The police have contacted the tribal administration to arrest the accused.

Meanwhile, the physical training instructor of Iqraa Public School and College was shot dead near his house in Hafizabad on Wednesday.

INVESTIGATION: Deputy inspector general of police, Kohat region, has said the inefficiency in investigation of cases is leading to many criminals getting off the hook.

Addressing a high-level meeting to review law and order situation in the three districts of the Kohat division on Wednesday DIG Mohammad Masood Afridi sought stronger cooperation and trust among the police, intelligence agencies and the public for curbing the crime, according to a press release.

Meanwhile, a man was hot dead in Jarma area by unknown armed people the other day.

The deceased, Saifur Rehman was coming out of a mosque when armed men fired at him with automatic weapons.