Pak officials say abducted Afghan envoy "not freed" yet

Peshawar, Oct 1 : Denying reports appearing in the Pakistani media that the abducted Afghan envoy Abdul Khaliq Farahi was released on Monday morning, senior security officials in Peshawar have said that there was still no trace of the missing diplomat.

They said that the media reports were "false and irresponsible", and that they might have been intentionally planted by someone.

"There is still no trace of kidnapped Afghan diplomat Abdul Khaliq Farahi despite the 'media scoop' on Monday claiming he had been released. There has been no lead yet to determine where the Afghan diplomat has been kept," the Daily Times quoted the senior security officials as saying.

The Pakistani media had reported on Monday that Farahi, who was kidnapped on September 22 from Peshawar, had been found in the Khyber Agency, but the local administration denied it.

"Is there no authority or regulatory body to ask why the media is terrorising the nation with unconfirmed reports?" the security officials asked appearing displeased at what they called "irresponsible reporting".

The security officials fear the kidnapped diplomat could have been taken either to Mohmand or Waziristan. "I think his captors may force political decisions from the Afghan government," one official said.

ANI