Pakistani journalists escaped kidnapping bid

 

 Two Pakistani journalists associated with The News in Pakistan's troubled Peshawar city escaped a kidnapping attempt on Kohat Road Wednesday night.

The reporters - Javed Aziz Khan and Qaiser Khan Afridi - were on their way home on Kohat Road when they noticed a white Corolla car, with three men onboard, chasing their vehicle.

After noticing the suspicious movement of the car, the journalists tried to dodge the chasing vehicle near Dora Road by staying there for some while. The car of the criminals also stopped at a short distance, with its passengers observing movement of the media-persons.

The criminals continued to follow their vehicle when the reporters resumed their journey, forcing them to speed up their car to avoid kidnapping.

The matter was immediately brought into the notice of senior superintendent of police (SSP) Operations Peshawar and SSP Coordination. SSP Coordination Qazi Jameelur Rahman later informed the media men that two patrolling cars have been tasked to find out the vehicle.

It is to be recalled that Javed Afridi, staff reporter of The News International at Peshawar Bureau, who was kidnapped for ransom on September 24, escaped from the captivity of kidnappers on Saturday (October 18, 2008). Likewise, another reporter of the same newspaper was picked up in November.

Kidnapping is on the rise in the provincial capital for the past many months and the government and the police force seem to have failed in countering the crime. Kohat Road and Ring Road are especially infamous for kidnapping incidents.

Many suspected the involvement of some senior and junior cops in the kidnapping after police failure in brining an end to the menace.

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