ISLAMABAD: Pakistani police said Sunday they were scrambling for clues to help recover a missing British boy, with no new contact from the kidnappers and few leads on the fate of the five-year-old.
Frustrated relatives waited in the town of Jhelum in central Pakistan for news of Sahil Saeed, who was snatched Thursday from his grandmother's house by robbers who also stole jewellery, cash and demanded a 120,000-dollar ransom.
"We are totally blind with no clue in hand so far about the kidnapped child, but our investigation continues," said senior police official Raja Mohammad Tahir Bashir. "We are concerned about the safety and security of the child."
The boy was kidnapped by men who stormed the house armed with guns and grenades, subjecting the family to a six-hour ordeal shortly before Sahil and his Pakistani father were preparing to take a taxi to the airport and fly home.
Police have detained the taxi driver who had been booked to take them to the airport and said on Saturday they were confident of recovering the child. A Pakistani diplomat also said police had made several arrests.
Pakistan's high commissioner to London suggested the kidnapping could have been an inside job, but family members have vigorously denied the claim.
Sahil's great uncle Raja Shahid said family members were getting increasingly frustrated with police efforts, adding that they had no fresh contact from the kidnappers since a telephone call to Sahil's father on Friday.
"We have not received any information from police about the kid. We are very upset and concerned about the health and security of Sahil," Shahid told AFP.
"We will now contact the police again to find out why they have not been able to recover the child so far. The kidnappers have also not contacted us again -- they had contacted us twice in the beginning."
In Oldham, northern England, Sahil's mother Akila Naqqash on Saturday made an emotional plea for her son's safe return, telling his captors: "I just want my son back. All is forgiven, I will forgive you."
Local police official Chaudhry Shahbaz Ahmad said he thought the widespread media coverage of the abduction may have caused the kidnappers to go underground and refrain from contacting the family.
"But we are hopeful we will safely recover the boy," he added.
Kidnappings of Westerners are rare in Pakistan, but criminal gangs -- some connected to Islamist militant networks -- often abduct locals for ransom.
Other kidnappings are blamed on family disputes.
MOTHER OF BOY KIDNAPPED IN PAKISTAN APPEALS TO HIS CAPTORS
The mother of a 5-year-old British boy kidnapped from a house in central Pakistan last week made an emotional appeal on Saturday for his safe return.
The plea came as British broadcaster Sky News reported that Sahil Saeed's father had apparently been contacted by the abductors on Friday who told him "the boy is with us and we will call you later."
"Have in your heart to please give my son back. I'll forgive you," Akila Naqqash said in an interview, speaking at the family's home in Oldham in the north of England.
Robbers kidnapped the boy and demanded a large ransom for his return, according to British officials and the boy's family.
The robbers entered the house late on Wednesday night in Jhelum city in Punjab province and terrorised the family for several hours before leaving with the boy, whose father is a Pakistani national, a spokesman at the British High Commission in Islamabad said.
The boy's father, Raja Naqqash Saeed, told Sky News that the kidnappers had demanded 100-thousand British pounds (150-thousand US dollars) for the boy's return.
British officials have been in touch with the boy's parents.
The father and son had been visiting the boy's grandmother and were scheduled to return to Britain on Thursday, the family said.
Relatives gathered at the family home in Jhelum to offer each other support and wait for news.
The local Police Chief in Jhelum said four men entered the home and stole a quantity of gold and 150-thousand Pakistan rupees (1,800 US dollars), snatching the boy as they were leaving.
The number of kidnappings in Pakistan has increased in recent years, driven by a struggling economy and the overall erosion of security as the country faces a violent insurgency.
The ransom sums demanded can run into the (m) millions of US dollars, though the captors often settle for less. AGENCIES
Frustrated relatives waited in the town of Jhelum in central Pakistan for news of Sahil Saeed, who was snatched Thursday from his grandmother's house by robbers who also stole jewellery, cash and demanded a 120,000-dollar ransom.
"We are totally blind with no clue in hand so far about the kidnapped child, but our investigation continues," said senior police official Raja Mohammad Tahir Bashir. "We are concerned about the safety and security of the child."
The boy was kidnapped by men who stormed the house armed with guns and grenades, subjecting the family to a six-hour ordeal shortly before Sahil and his Pakistani father were preparing to take a taxi to the airport and fly home.
Police have detained the taxi driver who had been booked to take them to the airport and said on Saturday they were confident of recovering the child. A Pakistani diplomat also said police had made several arrests.
Pakistan's high commissioner to London suggested the kidnapping could have been an inside job, but family members have vigorously denied the claim.
Sahil's great uncle Raja Shahid said family members were getting increasingly frustrated with police efforts, adding that they had no fresh contact from the kidnappers since a telephone call to Sahil's father on Friday.
"We have not received any information from police about the kid. We are very upset and concerned about the health and security of Sahil," Shahid told AFP.
"We will now contact the police again to find out why they have not been able to recover the child so far. The kidnappers have also not contacted us again -- they had contacted us twice in the beginning."
In Oldham, northern England, Sahil's mother Akila Naqqash on Saturday made an emotional plea for her son's safe return, telling his captors: "I just want my son back. All is forgiven, I will forgive you."
Local police official Chaudhry Shahbaz Ahmad said he thought the widespread media coverage of the abduction may have caused the kidnappers to go underground and refrain from contacting the family.
"But we are hopeful we will safely recover the boy," he added.
Kidnappings of Westerners are rare in Pakistan, but criminal gangs -- some connected to Islamist militant networks -- often abduct locals for ransom.
Other kidnappings are blamed on family disputes.
MOTHER OF BOY KIDNAPPED IN PAKISTAN APPEALS TO HIS CAPTORS
The mother of a 5-year-old British boy kidnapped from a house in central Pakistan last week made an emotional appeal on Saturday for his safe return.
The plea came as British broadcaster Sky News reported that Sahil Saeed's father had apparently been contacted by the abductors on Friday who told him "the boy is with us and we will call you later."
"Have in your heart to please give my son back. I'll forgive you," Akila Naqqash said in an interview, speaking at the family's home in Oldham in the north of England.
Robbers kidnapped the boy and demanded a large ransom for his return, according to British officials and the boy's family.
The robbers entered the house late on Wednesday night in Jhelum city in Punjab province and terrorised the family for several hours before leaving with the boy, whose father is a Pakistani national, a spokesman at the British High Commission in Islamabad said.
The boy's father, Raja Naqqash Saeed, told Sky News that the kidnappers had demanded 100-thousand British pounds (150-thousand US dollars) for the boy's return.
British officials have been in touch with the boy's parents.
The father and son had been visiting the boy's grandmother and were scheduled to return to Britain on Thursday, the family said.
Relatives gathered at the family home in Jhelum to offer each other support and wait for news.
The local Police Chief in Jhelum said four men entered the home and stole a quantity of gold and 150-thousand Pakistan rupees (1,800 US dollars), snatching the boy as they were leaving.
The number of kidnappings in Pakistan has increased in recent years, driven by a struggling economy and the overall erosion of security as the country faces a violent insurgency.
The ransom sums demanded can run into the (m) millions of US dollars, though the captors often settle for less. AGENCIES
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