DERA ISMAIL KHAN: A senior army officer and three of his relatives, who were kidnapped earlier this week from Kulachi tehsil of Dera Ismail Khan district, have been released unconditionally, the military said on Saturday night.

“Safe and unconditional release of Lt Col Khalid Ameer and three of his other relatives have been secured due to the role played by tribal elders and local notables,” the Inter-Services Public Relations further said. All the abductees safely returned home, it added.

The officer, his two brothers and another person were kidnapped from a mosque in their hometown of Mohalla Khadr Khel in Kulachi tehsil while receiving people who had come to offer condolences over their father’s death.

The suspected militants had forcibly abducted the three siblings; one of them is working for the Rawal­pindi Cantonment Board and the other for the National Database and Registration Authority.

In videos released the other day, two of the three brothers said they were “far away” from areas con­t­ro­lled by the government. They were shown sitting in front of a black cloth, surrounded by armed ind­i­viduals with obscured faces.

Published in Dawn, September 1st, 2024