PESHAWAR, Oct 4: Kidnappers have released Ghulam Qadir, a close relative of Maulana Fazlur Rehman, opposition leader in National Assembly, after receiving ransom from his family, sources told Dawn here on Tuesday.

The family of Ghulam Qadir, brother of Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s brother-in-law, had paid more than Rs3 million to his captors living in Regi area, in the outskirts of the city, on Monday night, the sources said.

He was released immediately and now back to his home in Phase-V of the Hayatabad township, they said.

The family of Ghulam Qadir, belonging to Lakki Marwat area, admitted that they had paid ransom to the kidnappers. The victim’s brother, Qari Hayatullah, claimed that they paid Rs150,000 as ransom to the kidnappers.

He added that the kidnappers were willing to release Ghulam Qadir without getting any amount. But later asked to pay Rs150,000 ransom, a money equal to the price of a car seized by the police after the incident.

The sources said that the family paid more than Rs3 million as ransom to the gang of kidnappers from the Regi area.

Sources said that the police had collected Rs2 million from 20 police stations and the remaining amount was added by the family to pay the ransom.

The 20 police stations, except Tatara, were asked by the police high-ups to pool money, Rs100,000 each, and pay to the family, these sources added.