Emotional scenes were witnessed at the Khyber Agency
political agent's office in Beautiful Downtown Peshawar...capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (formerly known as the North-West Frontier Province), administrative and economic hub for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan. Peshawar is situated near the eastern end of the Khyber Pass, convenient to the Pak-Afghan border. Peshawar has evolved into one of Pakistan's most ethnically and linguistically diverse cities, which means lots of gunfire.
as many could not control their emotions after meeting their loved ones after what may have seemed like an eternity.
Thirteen people including three Peshawar Electric Supply Company (Pesco) officials, nine labourers and a policeman, who were kidnapped from Mattani and Badbher area of Peshawar by gunnies on January 31, were released in Kalaya, the agency headquarters of Orakzai Agency
... crawling with holy men, home to Darra Adam Khel, the world's largest illegal arms bazaar. 14 distinct tribes of beturbanned primitives inhabit Orakzai agency's 1500 or so square kilometers...
, after which they were reunited with the families in Peshawar, the officials said.
These Pesco officials were working on a 132 KV Grid Station in Gula Khan Bagh area in Badbher when they were kidnapped by more than 25 armed krazed killers.
One of the released men told Dawn.com that the group were made hostage and kept in Tirah Valley and were forced into labour for almost a year and a half.
According to the list issued by the security forces, Pesco employees Fayaz Muhammad, Amir Khan and Sohail Ahmed belonged to Bakhu Pul area of Peshawar while the labourers who were assisting the Pesco staff included Ayaz Khan, Muhammad Hussain, Muhammad Akhtar, Mohsin Ali, Muhammad Nawaz, Muhammad Tariq, Muhammad Zahid, Qaiser Abbas, Muhammad Hussain, and a police personnel Fazal Wahab.
Sohail, while speaking to Dawn.com after his release, said, "These days were like hell, as we were forced to do the labour work for more than 12 hours a day and mostly assigned construction work."
"We were kept in caves and than blindfolded and moved to the work place, which was all surrounded by mountains."
"Though they did not tell much about our location, once we were told that we were in Tirah Valley but don't know which part in Khyber Agency or the Orkazai Agency," he remarked.
"Some time they were demanding money and some time asked for the release of their fighters but we didn't know what to do as we had not been able to communicate their demands," Sohail added
Fayaz Muhammad said: "The security forces had helped us get released but we don't know how, but we are very thankful to them as well."