Shakirullah Marwat, a district and sessions judge of South Waziristan, Khyber Pakhtnkhwa, who had been kidnapped reportedly by the Taliban on Saturday, was recovered late Sunday night. A day earlier, a video showing Marwat appealing to the government and judiciary to accept the demands of his abductors was sent from his number.
The provincial government confirmed the safe recovery of the judge.
Marwat had said in the video that the Taliban had abducted him, adding, “There is a war going on. It is a jungle.” He had also stated that his release hinged on the acceptance of the militants’ demands.
The First Information Report (FIR) into the incident cited Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act and other relevant laws and was registered by the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD). The driver of the judge, Sher Ali Khan Mehsud, reported in the FIR that they were traveling to D.I. Khan from Tank when a group of 25 to 30 armed individuals intercepted their car at Garah Mohabbat Morr and opened fire on the vehicle, forcing it to stop.
The report added that the judge was in pants and a shirt, but the abductors took out a traditional shalwar kameez suit from the car for him to wear. They then set the car on fire.
The abductors instructed the driver to inform the authorities that they would release the judge if their demands regarding their jailed relatives were met, with a warning of severe consequences otherwise. The kidnappers ultimately took the judge away on a motorcycle.
The security situation in the KP province has been deteriorating for the past few months. In January, former lawmaker Mohsin Dawar survived an assassination attempt while campaigning for the February 8 elections. Later, he was injured in a gun attack in Waziristan two days after the election, while protesting alleged rigging and delayed election results.
On April 22, security forces claimed to have killed 11 militants in raids on their hideouts in the volatile in D.I. Khan and North Waziristan.
