KOHAT, Aug 24: The Criminal Investigation Department has handed over an important Taliban leader, wanted for kidnapping 35 police recruits and several army men, to Hangu police after preliminary interrogations.

Highly placed sources told Dawn on Tuesday that the high profile militant, Rehmatullah son of Haji Gul belonging to Alizai tribe and resident of Khadizai, upper Orakzai Agency, had been living in Lakhti Banda area of Hangu district for the last one and half years. He had got himself registered at a camp, set up for internally displaced persons in Hangu by the government with the assistance of United Nations, and was getting relief items regularly for many months. He was arrested when he was taking relief items to his home.

He was a member of the Taliban group that abducted 35 police recruits in July 2008 to swap them with Maulvi Rafidud Din, Taliban's No.2 leader at that time, and his three companions, who were arrested in joint flag march by police and army from Doaba area.

Taliban had also taken several army men and government employees hostage from Hangu-Parachinar highway to increase pressure on the government.