SWABI, Dec 14: Punjab and NWFP police on Thursday arrested 25 people in Kalu Khan and its adjoining villages for their alleged involvement in a kidnapping case.

Sources told Dawn that a team of the Punjab police arrived in Swabi and held a meeting with the local administration, seeking arrest of some people.

The Punjab police and the local administration jointly prepared a plan to arrest the people.

Those arrested were kept in the Kalu Khan police lock-up.

Sources said the accused might have links with those who had kidnapped a class 9th student, Yasir Alam, from Westridge area of Rawalpindi on August 20, and brought him to the Karamar mountain.

They had demanded Rs50 million in ransom to release the boy.

Police located the hideout of the kidnappers by intercepting a telephone call the latter had made to the captive’s family from Karamar mountain.

Sources said the arrested people were being interrogated, adding that those found innocent would be released and those links with the kidnappers would be handed over to the Punjab police.—Correspondent