QUETTA: Dr Sheikh Ibrahim Khalil, a neurosurgeon serving at Civil Hospital who was abducted from Quetta on December 13, returned home on Wednesday after 48 days.
Doctors Association Committee Chairman Dr Zahir Khan Mandokhail confirmed the news of his return. “The kidnapped doctor has reached his home. Nearly Rs50 million have been paid in ransom to kidnappers,” Dr Mandokhail said while addressing a press conference at Civil Hospital Quetta. He added that the kidnappers had given Dr Khalil Rs5,000 and left him in Karachi, from where he hired a taxi and then travelled to Quetta. The taxi driver has claimed that Dr Khalil was injured and wearing blood-soaked clothes.
Upon hearing the news of his return, a number of medical professionals and relatives reached his residence. According to his relatives, however, Dr Khalil was dropped off in the Pak-Afghan border town of Chaman by armed men, from where he returned home.
The reputed neurosurgeon was reportedly kidnapped while returning home from work late last year with his car recovered from Shehbaz Town. Window panels on his car were also broken. Earlier, a joint investigation team (JIT) was formed by the Balochistan government to probe the abduction. Representatives from the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Military Intelligence (MI), Intelligence Bureau (IB), Special branch, Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) and an investigation officer were part of the team headed by the Quetta senior superintendent of police (SSP) investigation.