KASUR: Residents of Karniwala village of Pattoki Tehsil, including the family of a local brick kiln owner, who was allegedly kidnapped by a banned militant outfit, have appealed to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Army Staff Qamar Javed Bajwa to take measures for his safe release.

Faisal Bashir (45), a resident of Karniwala village, was kidnapped by armed men from Harnai village in Balochistan on Sept 25, when he had gone there to purchase coal.

A banned organisation later claimed responsibility for the kidnapping and accused Mr Bashir of being an intelligence agent.

However, his family insisted that he was an ordinary businessman who had spent his entire life in Karniwala village and had nothing to do with any spy agency.

His family members and the village residents staged a demonstration on Monday demanding the army chief and the premier take practical steps for his safe release.

Faisal Bashir is a father of four and was also elected vice chairman of the Karniwala Union Council from the platform of the ruling PML-N. He had also contested the 2018 general elections from the provincial assembly constituency, PP-179, as an independent candidate.

Published in Dawn, October 11th, 2022