DERA GHAZI KHAN, Jan 12: As many as 12 Wapda employees, including four engineers, were kidnapped on Tuesday night near the provincial border of Sindh-Shahwali in Rajanpur, about 180km from here.

Information gathered so far points to the involvement of the Chotu-Buga gang, which is notorious for its criminal activities in the kutcha areas. According to reports, a team of Wapda Guddu Barrage comprising 11 employees - XEN Amanullah, Muhammed Khalid, Akhtar, Haq Nawaz (engineers), linesmen Feth Muhammad, Saeed, Aslam Mazari, Najo, Anwar, Elahi Bakhsh and a driver - were kidnapped by the gang while they were conducting a survey of rainy canal.

The incident took place in the jurisdiction of the last police station of Punjab. The chief engineer of the Guddu Power Station reported the incident to the Rajanpur district police officer on Jan 12. The Shahwali police registered a case under 365-A of PPC.

The gang reportedly took away the officials to the kutcha area. It may be mentioned that the Chotu gang kidnaps people for ransom. The gang, according to the sources, has links with the Bugtis of Balochistan.

The police sources claim that it was also involved in smuggling of weapons from Balochistan to Punjab. A heavy police contingent has been sent to the area to apprehend the culprits and recover the kidnapped employees. Rajanpur DPO Maqsoodul Hassan and DIG Humayun Raza Shafi were not available for comments.

OUR RAJANPUR CORRESPONDENT ADDS: The Wapda team was busy removing fault in the main line KV 500. The Mazari tribesmen are accompanying the police force from Rajanpur and Rahim Yar Khan to help in the hunt for gangsters.