KARACHI, July 24: The two employees of the Shell Pakistan, who were kidnapped on April 11, 2003, on their way to Karachi from Hyderabad were released by their captors on Thursday in Dadu.

Speaking to Dawn, CPLC Chief Sharfuddin Memon claimed that no ransom amount was paid to kidnappers for the release.

Subsequent police raids and the arrest of some kidnappers’ accomplices had built up a pressure on the abductors, which led to their release, he said.

The clout of local tribal leaders was also used for their safe recovery, the CPLC (Citizen and Police Liaison Committee) chief added.

On April 11, 2003, Mr Mubashir Hussain Zuberi and Mr Habibuddin, both employees of the Shell Pakistan, left their Hyderabad office for Karachi in their Suzuki Cultus (ACY-048).

They were reportedly intercepted by a Toyota Corolla, occupied by four persons, somewhere on the Super Highway. The kidnappers shifted them into a loading truck and took them towards the Kirthar Range.

On April 12, 2003, their abandoned vehicle was recovered from the limits of Gulzar-i-Hijri.

On May 12, 2003, the Shell office in Hyderabad received letters from the kidnapped employees confirming that they were alive and in the custody of their kidnappers.

Mr Mubashir and Mr Habibuddin in the letters had urged their families to arrange for ransom of Rs1.5 million and Rs0.5 million, respectively. Both the letters were mailed from Larkana.

On May 13, 2003, policemen posted at the Vinder police post spotted some suspicious persons and upon physical search found on them some letters demanding ransom which were to be mailed to the victim’s families, a statement issued by the CPLC said.

After this development, ASP Hub Amir Farooqui coordinated with the Karachi police and during interrogation, it was revealed that the arrested suspects were accomplices of the kidnappers. A number of gang members were also identified during the process, the statement said.

The arrested people had told police that the kidnapped employees were kept in Kirthar Range, near Sehwan Sharif.

But when a joint team of Sindh police and CPLC raided the place, no one was there except a few utensils, food items and some clothing.