Taliban release eight abducted Gomal Zam dam employees

The News Sunday, September 15, 2013

PESHAWAR: Eight kidnapped officials of the Gomal Zam dam project were on Saturday released by the Taliban without any conditions after remaining in captivity for two years, official sources said. According to official sources, the kidnapped were handed over to the local administration on the border of South and North Waziristan. The officials were working on the Gomal Zam dam project when they were kidnapped two years ago. The tribal elders in South Waziristan played an important role in securing the safe release of the kidnapped employees. The project workers released included Sub-Divisional Officer Shahid Ali Khan, Sub-Engineer Sanaullah, four security personnel and two other staffers. They were kidnapped on August 15, 2012 while they were travelling to Tank from the dam site in South Waziristan. Gomal Zam dam was inaugurated in South Waziristan by Water and Power Minister Khawaja Asif, along with the US Ambassador Richard Olson and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Shaukatullah Khan on Thursday. Shaukatullah Khan said in a statement that it was a big achievement for the government. A month after their kidnapping, a faction of the banned Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) released a video of the abducted employees and asked the government to fulfil the militants’ demands and arrange for their safe release. The release took place in South Waziristan region on Saturday after successful negotiations between a tribal jirga and the militants.