Kidnapping and Hostage Takings اغوا کی وارداتیں اور دنیا میں پاکستان کا درجہ

Terrorist kidnapping

Taking prisoners

Jul 4th 2008

With Thanks to: The Economist, London

Where terrorists take most hostages

THE dramatic freeing of Ingrid Betancourt and 14 other hostages in Colombia this week is a high-profile blow to the FARC, the left-wing guerrilla group tricked into releasing her after over six years. But although the FARC still holds 700 prisoners, hostage-taking in Colombia has fallen off in recent years. Of the 5,075 people kidnapped in 2007, only 138 were taken in Colombia. Nearly 1,600 were captured in Iraq, which has seen the most hostage-taking in recent years because of an increase in terrorist militia groups. Infighting between Hamas and the Palestinian Authority contributed to a big rise in kidnapping in the Gaza Strip in particular.

In this report it is obvious that only politically and terror related kidnappings have been shown. Otherwise, the number of reported and unreported kidnappings in Pakistan would be much higher than shown here.

CPLC solves another kidnapping case - Gulistan e Jauhar Recovery

CBR man arrested for kidnapping

KARACHI: The police and CPLC have arrested a retired Pakistan Army major and an assistant collector of the Central Board of Revenue on charges of abduction and kidnapping one man and two women.

The joint operation was conducted Sunday night in Malir Cantt in which Assistant Collector Mir Amir Ahmed Khan and his co-accused Major (retd) Saeed Javed were arrested. Their hostages included Amir’s brother-in-law and mother-in-law. The abducted couple was Capt (retd) Dr Shahab [Amir’s wife’s brother] and his wife Dr Shabana, and Amir’s wife’s [and Shahab’s] mother Hafeesa Bano.

“Amir and his wife Taj Khatoon had separated for which a khula case was going on in the court,” explained CPLC chief Sharfuddin Memon. “Taj Khatoon had gone to Lahore with the three children.” Amir wanted the children back, despite court orders.

Amir used a third party to invite Taj’s brother Dr Shahab for a job in Karachi. On May 18, Shahab was called to meet them in Gulistan-e-Jauhar. He brought along his wife and mother. They were kidnapped at the meeting and the two women were kept at Amir’s farm house in Malir. Dr Shahab was kept with Major Saeed in Sakro.

Taj arrived in Karachi and according to a plan agreed to hand over the children in Malir. The CPLC chief said that while this was a domestic issue, it was an abduction case as well that was registered in Shahra-e-Faisal police station. “This is very common,” Memon said, explaining that people abducted others and kept them for a day or two until the demand was fulfilled. “But it is still a crime.”