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Govt official kidnapped in Waziristan

By Haji Mujtaba

MIRANSHAH: A government official has been kidnapped in North Waziristan, officials said on Thursday, the first such incident in the area following this month’s peace deal with local militants. Assistant Director for Rural Development Muhammad Iqbal told Daily Times: “Aurangzeb Gandapur, rural development official, was kidnapped by masked gunmen on Wednesday when he was on his way back from school inspection in Khadi village in Mir Ali town.” The unknown kidnappers let the driver and another person go before abducting Gandapur, Iqbal said, adding that he did not know at this point who was behind the abduction. He also confirmed that Assistant Political Agent Mir Ali Muhammad Fida had served a notice to the Khadi tribe, directing it to recover the official under the principle of territorial responsibility as enshrined in the Frontiers Crimes Regulation. Under this law, the government holds the relevant tribe responsible for any crime that occurs under its jurisdiction. While no group has so far claimed responsibility for the abduction, government officials have in the past blamed pro-Taliban militants for such attacks. However, a Peshawar-based security official said it was too early to hold local militants responsible, stressing that “the area is also infamous for kidnapping for ransom”.

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