Pakistan: State unconcerned: Kidnapping on the rise

WHILE it is a relief that cardiologist Dr Abdul Munaf Tareen has been freed by his kidnappers after a torturous two-and-a-half-month captivity, certain aspects of his case are cause for concern. Reports that a heavy ransom was paid for his freedom and that the Balochistan government had practically no role to play in his release point to the apathy that afflicts all provincial governments when it comes to cases of kidnapping for ransom. The menace is largely unchallenged by the security apparatus. And we continue to ignore it at our own peril.

Balochistan is not the only province affected. In Sindh, particularly in Karachi, kidnapping for ransom is something of an industry. Neither is Punjab immune as some high-profile abductions, involving victims belonging to powerful political and military families, have taken place in the province. Children have been particularly targeted in some parts of Punjab, while the abduction of young students has also risen in Peshawar — kidnapping overall remains rife in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Across the country, victims range from industrialists and professionals to randomly chosen people. As for the perpetrators, organised criminal gangs are involved in the racket, while religious and sectarian militants are also in on the game, using kidnapping as a major funding source for their terrorist activities. Often criminal groups ‘sell’ a victim of kidnapping to others of their ilk. In fact, the numbers, which have been consistently high over the past few years, may not tell the whole story as many families avoid going to the police for fear of endangering the victim’s life. But what is even more disturbing are reports that elements within the law enforcement agencies may be involved; such claims are given credence when those kidnapped are transported hundreds of kilometres across provincial lines with law enforcement agencies looking the other way.

What is required is a national effort to tackle kidnapping for ransom. Provincial police forces tend to be territorial, having nothing to do with a case once the victim has crossed provincial boundaries. Such an approach will not do. There needs to be an integrated approach where all provincial police forces combine data and efforts to recover victims and bust gangs. Furthermore, there must be zero tolerance within LEAs for those who may be involved in such criminality. The detection and conviction rates of criminal gangs need improvement. The Citizens-Police Liaison Committee in Karachi did commendable work in the past in this regard; its efforts should be replicated nationwide.