HYDERABAD, Jan 13: Two out of more than one dozen missing people of Karachi are said to have reached their homes on the eve of Eid-ul-Azha after they were released by their tormentors somewhere in Hyderabad or Matiari district. Around 10 suspects were also picked-up by the Matiari police in the kutcha area in connection with the on-going operation for recovery of kidnapped people.

The hostages who reached home are reporters of Karachi-based newspapers. A Karachi police source said that the hostages, identified as Majid and Mushtaq Sarki, were residents of Gulistan-e-Johar and went missing since December 16 in the jurisdiction of Shahra-i-Faisal police station. Their families had received calls for payment of ransom money.

It could not be known whether they have paid ransom but the source claimed that they were released due to police pressure in the last couple of days.

The Karachi police still believe that out of 12 missing people, majority of them were being held hostages in the areas of Hyderabad, Matiari or Thatta for which an operation is needed.

The DIG operation Hyderabad, Mazhar Nawaz, held a meeting with the DPOs of Hyderabad and Matiari to work out modalities for launching an operation. They believed that the hideouts in kutcha areas of Hyderabad and Matiari must be busted for recovery of the hostages.

The search operation launched jointly by Karachi, Hyderabad and Matiari police on January 8, was suspended on the same day as police did not find any hostage. It was learnt that the Matiari police picked-up around 10 suspects from the kutcha area on the eve of Eid and they were being grilled.

Their identification could not be known.