KOHAT: Police arrested four kidnappers in an operation in remote Shadikhel village here on Friday.

ASP Owais Shafique told a press conference that some people had hired a coaster from Rawalpindi for Tableeghi Markaz, Kohat, on June 4 and when they reached Chalo Ziarat area they bundled up the owner Riaz and driver Asif of the vehicle at gunpoint.

He said that due to brisk police patrolling in the area they threw both of them in the mountainous area and fled.

Riaz and Asif who belong to Rawalpindi somehow reached Bilitang police station. The police registered the case and constituted a special party for the arrest of kidnappers.

The official said that by using crime data receiver (CDR) and mobile phone locator they traced the kidnappers and arrested them in Shadikhel village. They were identified as Riaz, his brother Fayyaz of Jarma, Kohat, Hassan of Charsadda district and Ayub of Swabi district.

The ASP said that they were shifted to the police station for further interrogation. The vehicle had been handed over to the owners.

SIX SHOPS GUTTED: Six shops, including a big shoe store and bakery outlet, were gutted as fire erupted in Alfalah Market here on Friday.

Shahid, owner of the bakery, said that the fire erupted due to short-circuit and within no time engulfed the ground and first floor of the shoe store. He said that the flames were so strong that they entered his adjacent bakery and a homeopathic store and four computer shops on the first floor.

He said that TMA fire tenders reached the spot after half an hour, but they had no generator to throw water at the upper portion. People gathered at the place and some tried to enter the shops in search of any one trapped, but the shopkeepers had timely escaped.

The army personnel had to be called to control the situation. The police said that the fire broke out at 10:30am.

FISH HATCHLINGS: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa director fisheries Mohammad Dyar launched the monsoon campaign of stocking of hatchlings in dams on Friday. The hatchlings were freed in Tanda Lake and would also be stocked in government dams in Hangu and Karak districts.

Briefing the director, assistant director Hameed Asghar said that breeding of best quality hatchlings was being carried out at the Kohat farm. He asked the officials to attract private farm owners keeping in view their demand for various varieties.

Published in Dawn, July 8th, 2017