Three Mercy Corps Officials Released

The Baloch Hal News

QUETTA: Three kidnapped officials of a non-governmental Organization Mercy Corps have been released on Wednesday, family sources confirmed

A group of armed men kidnapped the four officials of Mercy Corps from Qila Saifullah, a bordering area with Afghanistan, on February 12^th last while they were retuning to Quetta.

Three officials Dr Asif Abbas, Ifikhar Shah and administration officer Babrak Suleman have reached their residences in early hours of Wednesday. The kidnappers freed them in Bannu district of Khaibar Pakhtunkwa, family sources told newsmen. However the family members refused to talk in details that how it took place. But sources revealed that kidnappers had been paid Rs 100 million as ransom for the release of victims.

“A group of tribal elders held a ‘Jirga’ with kidnappers for the release of abducted persons,” an official told this scribe on anonymity.

The kidnappers are said to be suspected militants who had several times demanded Rs 100 million as ransom for the release of officials.

Earlier, the Mercy Corps had closed its offices all over Pakistan after killing of Mercy Corps driver Habibullah, hailing from Bostan area of Quetta, who was kidnapped along with three other officials. They also sent the video CD to bereaved family while the victim Habibullah was being slaughtered.

Mercy Corps was recently working on Water and Sanitation projects in remote areas of Balochistan and closed its services after the incident.