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Sahil s kidnappers contacted his father

Posted on: Mon March 08, 2010

ISLAMABAD: A gang who abducted a five-year-old British boy from his grandmother s home in Pakistan contacted the boy s father on Friday, it has been claimed. Despite a massive police operation, and several arrests, nothing had been heard of Sahil Saeed, from Oldham in Greater Manchester, since he was abducted by an armed gang during a robbery on his grandmother s home in Jhelum on Wednesday.

Reports on Saturday night, however, claimed the kidnap gang had contacted Sahil s father, Raja, by telephone on Friday. The boy is with us and we will call you later, he was told, according to Sky News.

Sahil was visiting his family in Pakistan with his father, when the grenade-wielding kidnappers struck, allegedly subjecting the family to a six-hour ordeal. They left with Sahil and demanded a £100,000 ransom for his safe release. Saeed has remained in Pakistan in a desperate wait for his son s safe return. Sahil s mother, Akila Naqqash, on Saturday made an emotional appeal to the kidnappers from the family home in Oldham.

 I just want my son back. All is forgiven, I will forgive you, she said, adding You may have children yourself. I forgive you. All we can do is just pray for him. I am hopeful, I am just praying all day and every night.

Akila Naqqash renewed her appeal to British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and governments worldwide to step up their efforts. Gordon Brown and other countries, just do anything to get my son back. We can just hope and pray, and see what they can do. She also thanked well-wishers from across the country who have sent cards to the family. It is a really good comfort that people from the UK have sent us cards of support. Sahil s friends have made pictures for him. We have had loads of support from everyone. All I can say is thank you. Her sister, Amrana Iftikhar, added: Everyone is just praying, all our relatives all round the country. We just want Sahil back safely. Please help us bring this innocent child back home.

A spokeswoman for the Pakistan High Commission in London said on Saturday that police in Jhelum had made several arrests and were confident Sahil would be found.

 They have arrested many people, she said. The policemen are really confident that they will find him. The main worry is whether the child is being well treated. We think it is a criminal gang and we have positive leads. They might have known that he was British and thought [the family] were wealthy. Sometimes they know if someone has come from abroad.

Aqila Naqqash spoke of the growing frustration of relatives as they waited for news. We are getting no answers, she said. How are they treating him? Is he eating? He is just a little boy, what has he done wrong?

Interior Minister Rehman Malik visited father of Sahil Saeed and repeated the police claim that the family were believed to be involved in his abduction. Police believe someone very close to the family was involved in his abduction, Malik said.

The Pakistani authorities have contacted Interpol to help with the investigation after reports that the kidnappers had called Raja Naqqash Saeed, the father of the five-year-old, from international numbers, including a number in Spain.

Visiting Raja Saeed in his house in Jhelum, Rehman Malik warned the kidnappers to release the boy within 48 hours. Leave the boy, because we are very close to you, Malik said, addressing the kidnappers through the media.

However, Sahil s family has reacted angrily to suggestions that a member could be involved in the kidnapping. But Malik repeated the charge. I will say one thing: there is an involvement of the household. There is somebody who was very close to the family. Because of the way the situation has happened, the way the abduction has happened, the way the entry was made, he said.

National and provincial police forces, as well as intelligence agencies, have prioritised the case after it made headline news in the UK. Malik said the crime was an attempt to destabilise and tarnish the image of the country.

 This is not a crime against just one family, but against the entire nation, he said. This is an attempt to spoil the situation in Pakistan. Saeed, who had expressed frustration at the lack of progress in the case, appeared to be reassured by the minister s hour-long visit. I am fully confident right now, he said.

Police in Jhelum are concerned that the huge publicity the case has involved will make the kidnappers panic, knowing now that the punishment will be severe if they get caught. Ransoms are routinely paid in such kidnapping cases -- £20,000 was paid in one recent case -- but the high profile in this instance will make it difficult to arrange for money to change hands.

Saeed later told The Guardian that he wasn t aware of any connection to his family or close friends. As far as I m concerned, I don t know the person, who they are, where they come from, he said.

Asked about receiving calls from the kidnappers, he said: Whatever the number is, where they (the calls) are from, I m not allowed to mention anything.  We have certain leads which we would not like to disclose at this point.

Police have detained the driver of a taxi who was to drive Sahil and his father to the airport. The gunmen escaped in the taxi which was later found abandoned few miles away. The police said they are questioning a number of other people over the abduction but Raja Tahir, a senior police official involved in the investigation, said no formal arrest has been made so far.

At least three police officials -- from the emergency call service -- were suspected for a slow response to the initial call from the family. They face disciplinary action for failing to react quickly to the first report of the kidnap. Several hours elapsed before the police attended the scene.

Tasnim Bashir, Sahil s grandmother said: I m disappointed with the Pakistani government and with the British government, with everybody. They can t find our child. What are the authorities doing?

Saeed, who is unemployed, said: I think we were targeted because we are from England. The robber said we are going to take your son. We ve been tracking you for a week. Meanwhile, British Foreign Office spokesman said: Our thoughts are with Sahil and his family at this extremely distressing time. Consular staff are continuing to provide support to the family, both in the UK and Pakistan. The foreign secretary is following the case closely and is receiving regular updates from the British High Commission. We call on whoever is holding Sahil to return him to his family.

Courtesy : The News