DERA GHAZI KHAN: Three young labourers from Choti Zaireen in Dera Ghazi Khan have been abducted in what appears to be a honey trap set up by criminal gangs operating in the riverine areas of Rajanpur.

The missing people–Nasir Birmani, Zeeshan Birmani and Abdul Sattar Birmani–were reportedly lured by their friend Haseeb from Kot Tahir, Rajanpur, under the pretext of arranging labour work in Karachi. Their families said the three people, who had previously worked in Karachi, were invited by Haseeb on April 18 and arrived in Kot Tahir before disappearing.

According to relatives, the youths were allegedly abducted by armed dacoits and taken to the katcha area. Later, a video was posted on social media in which captors are being forced to request their families to pay Rs3 million for their safe release.

Yaqeen Muhammad Birmani, a relative of the victims, lodged an FIR, saying it was a planned abduction for ransom.

Choti Zaireen police registered a case under Section 345 of the Pakistan Penal Code and are currently analysing mobile phone data of the kidnapped men and alleged facilitator Haseeb.

SHO Ali Imran said criminal gangs were actively operating in the riverine stretches of Rajanpur district in Punjab and the adjacent Kashmor region in Sindh. He said investigators had retrieved call records and were working to trace the victims’ whereabouts.

Rajapnpur District Police Officer Farooq Amjad told Dawn that although the FIR was registered in Dera Ghazi Khan, the incident occurred in Rajanpur. Both districts are jointly working on the case to secure the safe recovery of the abductees.

Published in Dawn, April 21st, 2025