LAHORE, Jan 4 The Cantonment CIA police claimed on Monday to have arrested five members of a gang who kidnapped a doctor for Rs30 million ransom and planned to spend the money on 'jihadi' activities. The police recovered the doctor unhurt and without paying a penny through the intervention of a tribal jirga.

The gang led by Ziarat Gul, alias Badshah, had abducted child specialist Dr Aslam Khan on Aug 22, 2009, when he was going to his hospital in Wahdat Colony.

The police got the doctor released without paying ransom from Tera Bara area in Khyber Agency in exchange of Tariq Charat, son of Hasan Baz, who had phoned the victim's family and demanded ransom, through the intervention of the jirga.

Investigation SSP Zulfikar Hameed disclosed this during a news conference at his Qila Gujjar Singh office on Monday. Dr Aslam was also present there.

During initial investigation, the suspects admitted that they had abducted the doctor on the directives of commander Mangal Bagh of 'Lashkar-i-Islami' and extorted ransom was meant to be spent on jihad.

The culprits had also stolen several vehicles since 1997 from different parts of the city and kidnapped five other persons, who had been taken to the tribal areas.

Dr Aslam Khan worked in Social Security Hospital, Riawind Road, as child specialist. He also worked at Noble Hospital, Rehmanpura, Wahdat Colony.

One of the suspects, Suleman Butt, alias Mani, of Hall Road, developed intimacy with Dr Aslam. On the day of incident, Butt drove Dr Aslam to Bokhari Market, Wahdat Road, to get his mother examined. When the doctor reached there, Butt and his accomplices abducted him.

A special team constituted to trace the doctor first detained Ziarat Gul, of District Dir, currently residing at 14/A Abbott Road, Royal Park, Lahore, and then held Butt.

On a lead provided by these suspects, a police team went to the NWFP and picked Tariq Charar, son of Hasan Baz, and his friend from Peshawar under the pretext that they had to hand over ransom to Hasan Baz. Tariq confirmed that Dr Aslam was present at his father's outhouse.

The police phoned Hasan and demanded Dr Aslam's release in exchange of Tariq and finally the exchange took place through the intervention of the jirga.

The police also arrested their other accomplices Moeen Butt, of Shahid Colony, Muhammad Asif, of Railway Road, and Ali Maan Shah, of Landi Kotal.

Dr Aslam told reporters that around 25 to 30 mujahideen of Lashkar-i-Islam operated by Mangal Bagh were working at Bara Khajorri camp in Khyber Agency, where he spent 10 days. The Pakistan Army attacked the place after which he was shifted to Tera Bara.