RAWALPINDI: Finally, the police registered a kidnapping case of Chinese engineer working on Karot power project on Monday after three weeks and launched an investigation.

A Chinese engineer Pingzhi Liu, 36, went missing on Dec 20, 2017 while working on a tunnel linked to a river for the Karot power project Kahuta.

The intelligence officials and special protection unit (SPU) personnel had launched a search for him in and around the camp and project site but could not find any clue to him.

The Kahuta police had registered an informal report of the incident as they were of the view that an FIR would be registered only after Mr Liu’s clue is found.

But after waiting for three weeks the police on Monday night registered an FIR against unidentified persons on the charges of kidnapping.

Amjad Nadeem Khattak, Human Resource (HR) Manager, said in his FIR: “Mr Liu Pingzhi went missing from the project site on Dec 20, 2017 at 3:50am. He was performing his night duty and went out of the tunnel and this was the last time he was seen there.”

He said a top level investigation team was constituted but could not find his clue. It is suspected that he might have been kidnapped.

A senior police official told Dawn that a kidnapping case had been registered by the police.

He said no ransom call had been received by any of his colleagues or police.

On the other hand, the police have decided to re-investigate labourers working on Karot power project.

As search for the missing Mr Liu was launched, as many as 18 workers including some Chinese working on the project were questioned by the police. However, they were again taken into custody on Saturday after the police decided to reinvestigate them.

Published in Dawn, January 10th, 2018