FAISALABAD: A British national has been running from pillar to post for the recovery of his young kidnapped son for more than two months.

Four-year-old Shehryar, also a British national, went missing on Aug 21 last and the police are still clueless.

Iftikhar Ahmad, who resides at Asim Town, told reporters that his son was about to proceed to the UK after obtaining nationality but the family faced a shocking situation when he (Shehryar) went missing on Aug 21. He said everyone in the area knew that Shehroz, a neighbour, had taken Shehryar with him after which his son did not return.

The police took Shehroz into custody but they were not properly investigating him despite knowing the fact that his family had criminal record.

Ahmad, who had been living in the UK since 1986, said he was in Britain when he came to know about the kidnap of his son. “I reached Faisalabad on Aug 23 though I returned to the UK from Pakistan in May last and tried my best to trace my son but to no avail. Even contacts with Governor Chaudhary Mohammad Sarwar have not borne fruit,” he narrated his ordeal.

He said the British High Commission also was in touch with him and the city police officer. Officials of the Commission visited Faisalabad a few days ago and asked the police about the progress on the issue, he said.

The desperate father alleged that the police had failed to mitigate his agony. “I am facing financial and health issues because of kidnap of my son and business in the UK has almost been closed,” he said.

He said the SSP summoned him in connection with the case on Tuesday last but “to our utter surprise he (SSP) was not present at his office when we visited the place.”

Shehryar’s sobbing mother Irum Bibi, who is manager at a private bank in Faisalabad, alleged that the police were not cooperating with them.

The police arrested a resident of Karachi a couple of days ago who had called Ahmad claiming his son was in his custody. The police traced his number and arrested the suspect, who denied his involvement in the crime.

A policeman, who requested anonymity, said investigators were looking into the matter from different angles including the possibility of the family’s involvement.

Published in Dawn, October 23rd, 2014