Pakistani judge kidnapped by armed men in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province

A district and sessions judge was abducted by armed men in Pakistan’s restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Saturday, police said.

Shakirullah Marwat was abducted near Tank and Dera Ismail (DI) Khan districts bordering Afghanistan.

DI Khan Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Mohammad Adnan said that the incident took place in a village called Bagwal. The judge was kidnapped when he was returning from duty and going to DI Khan.

The judge’s driver was not harmed. The vehicle was also recovered from the spot.

Police said that no one has taken responsibility for the kidnapping of the judge.

Reacting to the incident, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Central Information Secretary Faisal Karim Kundi expressed concern.

He summoned Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur and cited his “non-seriousness” towards establishing peace in the province.

“(The Chief Minister) should explain why he is not serious about establishing peace and why terrorists are on the loose,” he asked.

Kundi said that the news of the judge’s kidnapping has created a feeling of insecurity among the public.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Gandapur has issued instructions for the safe recovery of the kidnapped judge. He said that emergency measures should be taken for the recovery of Marwat and all available resources should be used for this task.

Gandapur condemned the incident, saying that the elements involved in kidnapping cannot escape justice.

Peshawar High Court Chief Justice Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim along with two other judges have called an emergency meeting to ensure the safety of senior judges in the province.

Additional Chief Secretary of the state and Inspector General of Police Akhtar Hayat Khan Gandapur attended the meeting. Secretary Home Abid Majeed gave information about the meeting.

Monitoring the progress in the case, the district administration has been directed to ensure timely recovery of the judge.