LAKKI MARWAT: A health official affiliated with the polio eradication initiative who had been kidnapped by unidentified armed men in North Waziristan district a week ago was safely recovered from his captors, said Bannu division commissioner Arshad Khan on Thursday.

The health officer, Dr Zeeshan, had come to the tribal district from Swat to oversee a special anti-polio drive after surfacing of three cases there.

Unknown people had abducted him while he was performing his duty in the region bordering Afghanistan.

The commissioner said in a statement that after Dr Zeeshan’s abduction the administration had intensified efforts to secure his safe release from the kidnappers.

He said that besides holding jirgas with tribal elders the administration also moved law-enforcement agencies personnel to raid suspected hideouts of kidnappers in the tribal district. He said that the efforts resulted in a safe recovery of the doctor.

Mr Arshad said that stringent security measures had been put in place for the protection of polio teams.

Published in Dawn, May 27th, 2022