District and Sessions Judge Shakirullah Marwat was rescued a day after his abduction near the Tank and Dera Ismail Khan border in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Monday.
Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif, Adviser to the KP Chief Minister on Information, confirmed Marwat’s safe return home. He indicated that more details would be shared later.
The abduction took place on Saturday. The judge, assigned to South Waziristan, was kidnapped by armed men from Bagwal village. Deputy Superintendent of Police in DI Khan, Mohammad Adnan, stated that the incident occurred while the judge returned from duty.
Following the event, the Counter-Terrorism Department registered a first-information report against unknown assailants. The FIR, filed by the judge’s driver, Sher Ali, detailed an ambush by 25 to 50 armed men on the Tank-DI Khan road. They intercepted the vehicle, fired shots, blindfolded the driver, and drove off.
The FIR notes that after driving for 40 minutes into the jungle, the assailants briefly stopped. They had the judge change into a shalwar kameez provided by them, set his vehicle on fire, and left a message for the authorities before escaping.
The driver was unharmed and instructed to convey the kidnappers’ message to the authorities. The kidnappers then took the judge further into the jungle on motorcycles.
A high-level team was formed before the FIR filing to expedite the judge’s recovery. The KP government and the Peshawar High Court quickly took notice, with the High Court urging immediate action to recover the judge.
This action followed a video the judge released. In it, he mentioned that the militants had demanded from the government and would release him only when they were met.
