PESHAWAR: Senior bureaucrat Dr Amjad Shahid Afridi was feared to have been kidnapped after his car was found abandoned at the Chach interchange on the motorway on Thursday, DawnNews reported.

Police said Dr Afridi was staying at the shahi mehman khana, a government-run guest house in Peshawar, following his transfer from Islamabad to the provincial capital.

Sadiq Afridi, a cousin of Dr Afridi, told Dawn.com that the bureaucrat who was until recently based in Islamabad had been reposted to Peshawar, adding that he feared that Dr Afridi may have been kidnapped.

The number plate of Dr Afridi’s car was also missing when his vehicle was found at the Chach interchange that lies between the Swabi and Burhan interchanges on the motorway.

Moreover, officials at the Sharqi police station said they had registered a First Information Report (FIR) in relation to Dr Afridi’s disappearance after being approached by the bureaucrat’s family members.

His latest assignment in Peshawar had not yet been finalised. Among others, Dr Afridi has held the positions of KP’s secretary education and provincial secretary for information technology.

Zahir Shah Sherazi contributed to reporting.