PESHAWAR, May 9: The son of an army major was kidnapped for ransom from Shami Road when he was on his way to college, sources in police told Dawn here on Sunday. Hasan Furqan, a 19-year-old student of second year in Cecos College and son of Maj Furqan Ahmed Sabri, was on his way to college on bicycle from his home on Shami Road with his brother on Saturday.

Sources said that both the brothers were in the same area when their bicycle got punctured. Hasan left for college on foot and asked his brother to come after repairing the tyre.

But Hasan neither reached the college nor returned home, the sources said. Maj Furqan on Sunday received a telephone call from the kidnappers who demanded a handsome amount for the release of Hasan, the sources maintained.

The telephone call was made from the Paktel mobile service, the sources said and added that the police and the Military Intelligence both tried jointly to trace out the kidnappers, but still no clue has been found.

Siyal and Mujahid, ringleaders of two separate notorious groups involved in dozens of kidnappings for ransom cases surrendered to the Muttahida Ulema Council in Bara few months ago. They remained in the private detention cell of the so-called clerics council, but later were freed after their promise to live in the area peacefully.

However, sources said that since both the notorious figures stopped indulging in the criminal lives, their gang members split further and established small groups and again started anti- social activities, including kidnapping for ransom and robberies.