KARACHI, Sept 4: Four guards of former Balochistan chief minsiter Sardar Akhtar Mengal, who were sentenced to a 25-year jail term in an army personnel hostage-taking case, were released on Wednesday after the provincial government pardoned them.

Sindh prison chief Yamin Khan told Dawn that Nasarullah Mengal, Ghulam Hyder Langah alias Chappar, Mehboob Ali Satti and Ghulam Qadir, who had been convicted by an anti-terrorism court, were released after the Sindh chief minister pardoned them.

Complainant Havildar Qurban Hussain, of the Military Intelligence, alleged that on April 5, 2006, he and Lance Naik Fayyaz Ahmed were on duty on Khiyaban-i-Shamsheer, Defence Society, when Nasarullah, Ghulam Hyder, Mehboob and Ghulam Qadir kidnapped them and made them hostage.

Akhtar Mengal, who is chief of the Balochistan National Party (Mengal), and some other unidentified people were declared absconding co-accused in the charge-sheet.

It was alleged that Sardar Akhtar Mengal had ordered the kidnap with an intention to kill the two armymen.

Qurban Hussain also alleged in the FIR that he and his college had been detained at the Defence Society residence of Sardar Mengal for two hours and subjected to torture.

He further said he had himself seen the Sardar at the place of captivity. He accused the servants of “robbing us of money and identity cards”.

Police arrested the four servants on April 8, 2006.