Armed men kidnapped a sessions judge on Saturday from the border between Tank and Dera Ismail Khan districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, police said.

DI Khan Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Mohammad Adnan told Dawn.com that the South Waziristan judge was abducted from Bhagwal village near the border between the two districts.

He said he was present at the scene with the Tank district police officer with a heavy contingent of personnel, and raids were being launched as part of a search operation in process.

KP Chief Minister Sardar Ali Amin Gandapur took notice of the incident and ordered the inspector general of police to ensure the judge’s safe recovery.

“Steps should be taken on an emergency basis to recover the judge. All available resources should be utilised for this purpose,” he was quoted as saying in a statement from the KP government.

“The alleged abduction of the judge is highly condemnable and regrettable. The elements involved in the incident cannot escape from the grip of the law. The provincial government will take all possible steps to recover the judge,” CM Gandapur said.