QUETTA: The abducted judge of Kharan Qazi court, Mohammad Jan, returned home safely on Wednesday after remaining in captivity for two days, police said.

“Judge of the Qazi court had been abducted by armed men after setting the court building on fire two days back,” Deputy Inspector General of Police for Rakhshan region, Abdul Hayee Amir Baloch, told Dawn. The judge was “safe and sound”, Mr Baloch added.

It was not immediately clear whether the judge had been freed by the kidnappers or recovered by authorities.

Police said a group of armed men had stormed into the Qazi Court building in the Maskan Kalat area, some 30km from Kharan city, while the judge was hearing cases. They held him and the court staff hostage, ransacked records and damaged office furniture and other items on the premises before setting them on fire. While fleeing, they had taken the judge with them at gunpoint.

Published in Dawn, October 9th, 2025