RAWALPINDI, July 27: The family of Iftikhar Afzal, who was kidnapped allegedly by a group of Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) for a Rs200 million ransom on June 28, is still waiting for any news about his whereabouts.

Mr Afzal, 36, father of two, who worked with a private housing society as a senior accountant, was kidnapped by some unidentified persons while going to his office from his Adiala Road residence. Shahzad Afzal, the younger brother of the victim and his family seem to have lost hopes in the police to find a clue to their loved one. His brother has now requested the police to stop their work as it would endanger his brother’s life.

When contacted by Dawn, Shahzad said: “Two days after my brother was kidnapped, I received a phone call from the kidnapper. And they have been making phone calls after about every week and negotiating on their demand.”

He added: “During the first telephonic contact, the caller identified himself as a member of the TTP and said Iftikhar was in their captivity.

The kidnapper also asked me to arrange Rs20 crore for the safe release of my brother. However, negotiations continued with the kidnappers and they reduced the ransom money to five crore rupees during the latest telephonic talk that took place on the 17th of this month.”

Shahzad seemed disappointed with the police performance and this is despite the fact that a separate police wing comprising experts in dealing with such cases is working under the command of the regional police officer and the city police officer.

He feared that the way the police had been working on this case would harm his brother.

Shahzad added: “Police performance has always been a question mark. And I have made it clear to the police that I cannot sacrifice my brother on police adventure; therefore, let me do something for my brother’s safe return.”

He said he was arranging the money to pay to the kidnappers and also planned to sell his assets to save his brother’s life.

“It is worrying for us that Iftikhar has not been allowed to talk to us since he was kidnapped. I asked the caller to let my brother talk to me but he rejected my plea,” Shahzad said.

When the superintendent of police Saddar circle, Waheedur Rehman Khattak, was contacted, he said the victim’s family was not cooperating with the police; therefore, the police cannot move ahead. But it seems that the police have to get permission from the victim’s family to do their job. Had the police department been working properly the kidnapped man would have been reunited with his family and the culprits arrested.