PESHAWAR, Jan 15: The tribal authorities have traced whereabouts of Punjab's kidnapped Minister for Sports and Culture Naeemullah Shahani and are negotiating his release, a senior official told Dawn on Thursday night.

The official said that a breakthrough was expected anytime. "We think we are on the right track," Brig Mahmood Shah, Secretary Security (Fata), said. "We are close to him."

The minister went missing on Jan 10 while returning from Miramshah where he had gone to buy a smuggled non-custom paid vehicle. Officials say that Mr Shahani had been involved in the illegal business for quite some time.

An official requesting anonymity told Dawn that their search for the missing minister had led them to Khesaro near Karkarwam on the border between F.R Bannu and North Waziristan tribal region.

The area is inhibited by Torikhel tribe. The official said that they had been able to establish contacts with suspected kidnappers and were trying to secure the release of the minister.

He said the government might take action if negotiations failed. "We hope that we are on the right track and we have identified the culprits. He said the kidnappers had not made any demand for the release of the minister. "I think, they have realised that they have got a wrong man and therefore have panicked. We are encouraging them to make a demand so that they do not harm him," the official said.

He said the kidnappers might have kidnapped Mr Shahani not knowing that he was a minister but have panicked after realising who they had in captivity." The authorities have been keeping the names of the suspects involved in the abduction a closely guarded secret due to sensitivity of the matter.

"The security forces are alert and in case of failure of negotiations they will conduct raids on some possible hideouts in the area," a well-placed informed source said here.

He said preparations for possible operations were under way and the administrator of North Waziristan Agency, Mr Sherzada Khan, also held meetings with the senior officials and tribal elders.

It is learnt that the minister was a frequent visitor to the tribal agency during the last two years. The authorities suspect that the minister had some business connections with some of the tribal people.

Security officials involved in the search for Mr Shahani had informed their high-ups that the minister had long been involved in the purchase of smuggled vehicles and getting them registered through fake names to sell them in the Punjab.

It is not clear whether the Punjab government would take any action against the minister once he is released from captivity. Three workers of the motor bargain centre in Miramshah had told interrogators that Mr Shahani had bought a smuggled 1992 Toyota Surf for Rs355,000 and had made a down-payment of Rs98,000.

There were speculations that his kidnapping might have been the result of some money dispute with those involved in the smuggled vehicle business. "We have no idea as to the motive behind his kidnapping. We would know only when he is released and those involved in it were caught."