BANNU, Jan 28: The criminal investigation department (CID) has begun interrogating the key suspects in the kidnapping of Naeemullah Shahani, Punjab minister for sports and culture.

A senior CID official told Dawn in Peshawar that his men had begun interrogating four suspects, including two employees of Shawal Motor Company in Miramshah, who had last seen the minister reportedly purchasing a smuggled vehicle.

The other two suspects were turned over to the CID by the political authorities in the semi-autonomous frontier regions of Bannu. They are believed to be in the know of the matter. But CID officer Liaqat Khan told Dawn on Wednesday: "We have been interrogating them the whole night and day, but could get any useful information. The two workers admitted to having seen Mr Shahani at the bargain centre, but nothing beyond that. While the other two are denying any knowledge of him."

Either they are innocent or hardened criminals and will take time to break any information about him." A senior government official had earlier said the two suspects from Bannu had acknowledged that Mr Sahani was in the captivity of a criminal group.

The authorities had raided their house in the tribal area following the information that Mr Shahani had been moved there. The minister was not there, but the authorities did manage to pick up the main suspects, the official said. Frontier province Home Secretary Abdul Karim Kasuria told Dawn from Bannu that they were applying pressure on the Bakkakhel-Narmikhel tribes to help recover Mr Shahani.

The authorities had rounded up some tribesmen, sealed their shops and impounded vehicle under the collective responsibility clause of Frontier Crimes Regulation 1901, he said.

"They are not cooperating and denying Mr Shahani's presence there," Mr Kasuria said. The authorities had given three days to the Bakkakhel tribe to help recover Mr Shahani and the three other men kidnapped while returning from Miramshah. The deadline expired on Tuesday. Another official said they were now trying to pick up some notables of the area to exert more pressure on the tribe to help recover Mr Shahani.