The Lahore Police’s has stood exposed as police investigators have failed to uncover any clues on Shahbaz Taseer’s kidnapping two days after the incident. While no group, terrorist or criminal, has claimed responsibility and no ransom demand has emerged, police sources claim the lack of evidence and eyewitnesses have plagued investigators.
Cataloguing ‘kidnap for ransom’ gangs: Police investigations sources told Pakistan Today that investigators have begun collecting the record of criminals found involved in incidents of kidnapping for ransom across Punjab. They said investigators had decided to interrogate or include criminals detained in Punjab’s jails on prior counts of kidnapping for ransom. They said Gulberg Police arrested 10 Pathan scavengers, who were collecting garbage in the area at time of incident, to grill them to prepare sketches of the kidnappers.
White, not black, landcruiser: They said investigators now believe that the kidnappers were riding a white land cruiser rather than a black land cruiser, as was previously believed. They said investigators had concluded the silver colored car, driven by two suspects, was standing on a petrol pump near the kidnapping site, to keep a watch on vehicle movements in the area. Investigators believe the same car followed the white land cruiser after the kidnapping.
‘Brainstorming’ sessions: Lahore Police Investigation Wing sources told Pakistan Today that police investigators were doing brain storming exercises in joint meetings to speculate on the motives behind kidnapping Shahbaz Taseer only 600 feet away from the First Capital Group head office on Friday. They said Lahore Police officials were under immense pressure to solve the case immediately. The sources disclosed the CCPO Lahore had visited the Punjab Chief Minister on Sunday to update him on the investigations. It was learnt that the CM had directed the Lahore Police to recover Shahbaz Taseer at the earliest. Meanwhile, the SSP Investigations visited Amna Taseer, the mother of Shahbaz Taseer, and briefed her on developments within investigations.
Top cops meet: The sources said the CCPO Lahore Ahmed Raza Tahir had chaired a meeting of investigators probing the kidnapping case at Gulberg Police Station. The meeting was attended by SSP Investigations Abdul Razzaq Cheema, DIG Operations Ghulam Mehmood Dogar and SP Operations and Investigations of Model Town Police. A police officer who attended the meeting, on condition of anonymity told Pakistan Today that the meeting discussed possible motives behind kidnapping Shahbaz Taseer and discussed developments in the case. However, he said investigators admitted they had not made any major breakthrough in the case. He said Lahore Police had extended search operations into other areas of Lahore since investigators believe the kidnappers have not managed to shift Shahbaz Taseer out of the provincial capital.
