The Pakistani Taliban on Tuesday threatened to kill eight kidnapped employees of a dam project by December 3 if the government failed to meet the terror outfit’s demands.
The kidnapped people worked at the Gomal Zam Dam hydro-electric power and irrigation project in South Waziristan region. They are two engineers, four security personnel and two staffers. A 46-minute video, recorded on November 23 and released on Tuesday, showed the kidnapped men seeking the government’s help and relaying the militants’ message. It gave the government six days to react.
One of the kidnapped engineers, Shahid Ali Khan, is seen speaking in the video which has the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan’s name written in the background. It also shows gun-toting men whose faces cannot be seen.
The eight officials were kidnapped from Tank-Wana road while they were on their way from the dam to Dera Ismail Khan for Eidul Fitr holidays on August 15. The militants’ demands, however, remain unknown. Security forces have recovered the vehicle of the kidnapped workers from Neeli Kach area of South Waziristan. The local administration has also held a number of jirgas (or tribal council meetings) to discuss the means for the safe rescue of the eight men. While no concrete demands were put forward in the video by the militants, sources said the Taliban want release of prisoners and ransom money of more than Rs 100 million.
TTP accepts responsibility for attack bid on Hamid Mir
Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan on Tuesday claimed responsibility for attempting to attack senior journalist Hamid Mir a day earlier and warned of more attacks on anyone pursuing the secular agenda. Ehsan said Mir was following a secular agenda and was helping those who were working against the principles of Islam, adding that their organisation would continue to target all those who were becoming party to propagation against ‘jihad’. The TTP spokesman said those targeting the Taliban would be targeted with explosives. Hamid Mir, a senior Geo TV anchor was returning to his house in Islamabad on Monday when a bomb was apparently planted in his car when he stopped at a market for a few minutes. The explosive device in a metal box was found stuck under the front passenger seat of Mir’s car, city police chief Bani Amin said. The bomb disposal squad was immediately called in, who successfully defused the bomb containing half a kilogramme of explosives.
