Pakistan launches operation to recover missing minister
IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency
Islamabad, Jan 28, IRNA -- Pakistan`s security forces Wednesday launched an operation in tribal areas near the Bannu District to recover the Minister for Sports and Culture of Punjab Province, reports said. Naeemullah Shahani went missing from January 10 last in North Waziristan Agency after paying a visit to the area under jurisdiction of the North West Frontier Province. The forces have arrested four tribesmen of Bakakhel tribe and confiscated dozens of vehicles and sealed over 100 shops, markets and hotels in city areas of Bannu and adjacent tribal belt, state APP news agency reported. The authorities in Pakistan`s tribal belt, bordering Afghanistan, have traced whereabouts of Punjab`s minister and were negotiating for his release. Provincial Home Secretary Abdul Karim Qasuria who is in Bannu for the last couple of days, is supervising the search operation. He had held extensive talks with elders of Bakakhel tribe as a three-day deadline was given to them to recover the missing Punjab minister. The minister had gone missing on January 10, as he visited a tribal locality Miranshah to see one of his relatives. However, some reports claimed he had gone there to purchase a non-custom paid vehicle. There are unconfirmed reports that he had married a girl from a local tribe. Other reports had indicated that he might have been kidnapped by the elements, who were opposed to the on-going operation against Al-Qaeda and Taliban elements, hiding in some bordering areas. Pakistan`s security forces are engaged in an operation in the tribal areas bordering Afghanistan to search those providing shelter to the `foreign terrorists`. Several people have been taken into custody and their hide-outs destroyed, according to the reports. TSH/AH/210 End
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