KOHAT: Local police on Monday recovered a kidnapped student of the Kohat University of Science and Technology and arrested two abductors.

Atifullah, a student of the master’s degree of computer sciences at KUST, was kidnapped by armed men riding in a car when he was on the way to the hostel.

After the kidnapping, police sealed the area and began search for the abductee.

In the meantime, a police team stopped a suspicious car here near the new Tableeghi Markaz on the road to Rawalpindi and found Atifullah on it.

It arrested kidnappers Noor Amin of Peshawar and Ismail of Karak and seized the car. Police said the arrested men had told them that they had kidnapped the two for ransom and that Khalid, Taj, Ghareeb Nawaz and Shah Abid were their accomplices.

PROTEST AGAINST ARRESTS: The Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat on Monday protested outside the Hangu Press Club against the arrest of its workers.

ASWJ general secretary Mohammad Imran told reporters said the arrest of his party workers was illegal as they had never been involved in illegal activities and therefore, they should be freed without delay. He said ASWJ had nothing to do with killings and bomb blasts.

They criticised the arrests and demanded their release.

OGDCL URGED NOT TO SACK EMPLOYEES: The Central Labour Union of the Oil and Gas Development Company Limited on Monday urged the OGDCL management to cancel the planned expulsion of 4,700 contractual employees.

Secretary general of the union Abdur Rasheed Shinwari told reporters at Kohat Press Club that the OGDCL had decided to expel 4,700 employees by Feb 28.

He said the decision was tantamount to the ‘economic murder’ of thousands of families and therefore, it should be withdrawn. Mr Shinwari said the proposed sackings were part of the government’s plan to privatise the profitable OGDCL.

“The OGDCL generate Rs80 billion profit and pays Rs23 billion tax every year,” he said. The union leader said workers could go on strike at all OGDCL facilities over the proposed sackings.