DERA GHAZI KHAN, March 4: Residents of Loralai held a protest demonstration against the government for its failure to track down the culprits and recovery of 12 people kidnapped last Friday from a Loralai-bound bus.

The people from all walks of life took part in the protest rally against the kidnapping of passengers, including women, children and two army men, and holding them hostage by the Jaafar Gang.

The culprits beat a retreat with the 12 passengers on foot, leaving behind the punctured bus with rest of the passengers. The law enforcement agencies chased them and killed one of the culprits in a shootout.

The fleeing culprits left behind the body of their accomplice. Later, the Loralai administration took the body into its custody and identified the deceased as Abdul Rehman Jaafar. However, the body is still lying unclaimed at the Loralai DHQ Hospital.

After the passage of six days, the law enforcement agencies could not find any clue to kidnappers and the 12 abducted. The resentment among the local tribal people is increasing day by day as they staged a protest procession against the negligence of the DCO, District Nazim and the police.

Meanwhile, Jahangir Khan Musa Khail, the owner of Mukhtar Transport Company, told Dawn by telephone that he had convened a jirga of his tribe and put a unanimous demand of recovery of the kidnapped passengers from the clutches of culprits. He claimed that at least 600 tribal elders had attended the jirga.

Opinion

Editorial

Budget presser
Updated 14 Jun, 2026

Budget presser

If the FBR falters, the government will find itself in hot water sooner rather than later.
Muharram precautions
14 Jun, 2026

Muharram precautions

WITH Muharram due to start next week, the authorities have already begun annual exercises to ensure that the ...
Blood bequests
14 Jun, 2026

Blood bequests

WORLD Blood Donor Day offers a moment of “gratitude, advocacy and renewed commitment” for thalassaemia patients...
Sustainable path?
Updated 13 Jun, 2026

Sustainable path?

The FY27 budget is the first clear signal that the government is ready to transition from stabilisation to growth.
Prioritising education
13 Jun, 2026

Prioritising education

THOUGH the improvement in the country’s literacy rate may be slight, as highlighted by the Economic Survey, it ...
Poverty’s rise
13 Jun, 2026

Poverty’s rise

AS attention turns to the government’s plans for the coming fiscal year, one set of figures deserves particular...