KOHAT, Feb 9: Jamaat-i-Islami leader and former union council nazim, Dr Matiullah Shah, has been kidnapped from his farmhouse here in ambulance, officials told Dawn on Thursday.

Mr Shah, who is a dental surgeon, went to his farmhouse in Mangal Bibi area on Rawalpindi road in his car on Wednesday morning, but did not return home in the evening. The worried family contacted Mr Shah’s friends, but he could not be traced.

Afterwards, they learnt from police and local people that an ambulance came at the farmhouse in the evening and took him away.

A police official said that he saw the ambulance entering and leaving the farmhouse, but thought that perhaps Dr Shah or any labourer was sick and being taken to hospital.

Brother-in-law of the victim, Aasim Shah, told Dawn on phone that he visited the farmhouse and found the keys hanging in the ignition of his car, which was a clear proof that Dr Shah was ready to leave for home at the time of kidnapping.

He said that nobody had contacted them for ransom and they were waiting for a call in this regard.

Dr Shah’s wife, who retired recently as principal of the government college for women, Kohat, reported to the police that his husband was missing since Wednesday evening. Family members said that Dr Shah had no enmity with any one. The Riaz Shaheed police station registered a case on complaint of the victim's brother, Samiullah Shah, and has launched investigation.

SECURITY ASSURED: Kohat commissioner Sahibzada Mohammad Anees has assured the Hungarian oil and gas exploration company of full security to its staff and hoped that it would continue to carry out development projects in the district.

The commissioner was talking to a delegation of the MOL company, which was working in Kohat and Karak districts. He praised the company’s interest in establishment of schools and hospitals and urged its officials to provide drinking water and road facilities to the residents of Shakardarra.

MOL’s security coordinator Fakharuddin and development officer Niaz Safdar attended the meeting besides DCOs of Kohat and Karak.

GETS LIFE TERM: The anti-terrorism court awarded life term to a man involved in several kidnapping cases here on Thursday.

ATC judge Anwar Hussain awarded life imprisonment to Rehmatullah, resident of Latambar, Karak district. The convict was arrested in July 2010 and charged in kidnapping cases by the Kohat police.

Meanwhile, DCO Shahidullah Khan on Thursday banned under Section 144 the sale of land along Kohat Toi (stream) in different areas for one month period.