Multan, July 7: The police have brought on record the arrest of an alleged militant on Thursday, about a month after his arrest. It is learnt reliably that Ibraheem Madni, an activist of a banned militant outfit, was taken into custody on June 9 last in connection with a foiled bid to kidnap a doctor for ransom. Two of his accomplices were shot dead in what the police had claimed to be an encounter, while two others were charge sheeted in thematter.

Sources said the police officials who carried out the alleged encounter, however, were concealing Madni’s arrest and instead had kept him at Chehliak police station, where he was being given a VIP protocol by his captors.

The sources revealed that some policemen, who were given out-of-turn promotions for their ‘role’ in counter-terrorism measures, were actually Madni’s patrons and in the past he had often been set free by them after being apprehended for his alleged involvement in heinous crimes like murder, dacoity and kidnapping for ransom.

According to the record, Madni received assault training in Afghanistan, where he reportedly also participated in ‘jihad’. He was said to be a close associate of an alleged militant, Ali Sher, recently arrested and having alleged connections with the Al-Qaeda network in the Wazirstan Agency. Ali Sher was, however, challaned later on only for keeping illegal arms.

Sources said the police had recorded Madni’s arrest in the case related to the kidnapping of Dr Zaheer. He had also been declared a proclaimed offender in the murder case of a union council nazim, Rana Shamshad.

It was learnt that the police had obtained his physical remand on Thursday evening from the area judicial magistrate.