LANDIKOTAL/PESHAWAR: Rana Jamil Hasan, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) member of the Punjab Assembly, who was kidnapped in May crossed over to Khyber Agency from Afghanistan Monday night after being released by his captors.
Official sources said he crossed over to Pakistan near the Samsai area of Afghanistan. They said that later, he was shifted via Warsak to Peshawar under the escort of the security forces personnel on the way to Islamabad.
Though official sources said Rana Jamil Hasan was freed by a group of Afghan Taliban, it wasn’t clear which commander headed it and his motive to kidnap him.Other details such as the likely involvement of any Pakistani militant or criminal group in the lawmaker’s kidnapping also weren’t available.
Rana Jamil Hasan, hailing from Sheikhupura, was kidnapped by unidentified gunmen from near the Pindi Bhattian Interchange on the Motorway on May 31 when he was on his way home along with his wife.
The kidnappers soon freed his wife and he was reportedly shifted to Afghanistan through the tribal areas.The sources said Rana Jamil Hasan’s family members managed to contact the kidnappers through some influential people and negotiated his release. The terms of his release weren’t known.
Rana Jamil Hasan reunited with his family after six months in captivity, though once earlier sections of the media had reported that he had been recovered from Mardan district and had reached home. The news turned out to be untrue. However, it wasn’t known until now that he had been taken to Afghanistan.
“He was released from Loy Shalman area of Landi Kotal, close to the border, and was handed over to forces. He is believed to have been kept across the border,” said a source.
Rana Jamil will be shifted to Peshawar Tuesday morning where he is scheduled to meet Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Sardar Mehtab Ahmad Khan.According to the family, Rana Jamil along with his wife attended the funeral of a close relative and was on his way back to Islamabad when unidentified armed kidnappers took them away near Sial roundabout at Pindi Bhattian Interchange.
The kidnappers blindfolded the couple and took them away to an undisclosed location. The kidnappers later freed Rana Jamil’s wife in Rawalpindi with a message to arrange Rs50 million ransom.
Chief Minister Punjab Mian Shahbaz Sharif immediately sought report from inspector general Punjab on MPA Rana Jamil’s kidnapping. However, it took almost seven months to secure his safe and sound recovery.There were different reports during the period about his possible whereabouts.
