Sessions judge kidnapped by armed men recovered 'safely'

• Barrister Saif confirms sessions judge's safe recovery. 
• Says further details about incident will be released later. 
• Judge Marwat was abducted near Tank-DI Khan border.

District and Sessions Judge Shakirullah Marwat has been safely recovered a day after he was abducted by armed men near border area of Tank and Dera Ismail Khan in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Geo News reported Monday. 

Adviser to KP chief minister on Information, Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif, while speaking to Geo News, confirmed Marwat's recovery and said that he has been moved to his home safely. 

"Further details about the incident will be released later," said Barrister Saif.

The police said that security forces conducted an operation in Kulachi area of DI Khan last night which made the judge's safe recovery possible.

They added that Judge Marwat is completely fine at the moment.

On Saturday, the police said that the judge, who is posted in South Waziristan, was kidnapped by armed men from a village named Bagwal in the border area between Tank and DI Khan. 

DI Khan Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Mohammad Adnan said that the incident took place when the sessions judge was on his way back to DI Khan, returning from duty.

Details of FIR

Following the incident, the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) registered a first-information report (FIR) against unidentified men which was lodged by judge's driver Sher Ali.

In the FIR, Ali said that they were travelling on the Tank-DI Khan road when around 25 to 50 armed men intercepted the judge's official vehicle. The accused then opened fire and tied a piece of cloth on the driver’s eyes and left the area.

It added that the gunmen stopped the vehicle briefly after 40-minute drive in the jungle where they asked the judge, who was wearing a pant-shirt, to wear shalwar kameez, which was provided by the abductors.

Thereafter, the suspects set the judge’s vehicle on fire and gave a message to the driver for the authorities concerned before fleeing from the scene.

The suspects left the driver unharmed and asked him to convey their message to the authorities.

Later, the suspects riding on motorcycles took the judge into the jungle, read the FIR.

Special team constituted for judge's recovery

Earlier before the FIR was lodged, a high-level special team was constituted for the early recovery of the judge. 

The KP government and the Peshawar High Court (PHC) also took notice of the matter. 

The PHC summoned the KP Home secretary and provincial police chief, directing them to recover the kidnapped judge at the earliest.

The team was constituted after the judge, in a 63-second video, said that the militants had some demands from the government and they would release him only after these demands were met.