Pakistani engineers returning from Afghanistan abducted

Four Pakistani civil engineers of a private construction company have been abducted near Torkham by miscreants while on their way back from Kabul.

The abductors have demanded huge ransom from the construction company for the release of their engineers, who went missing just before the eid holidays.

The engineers working for the local Airrs Associates are working in Afghanistan for the past six years on several projects.

The company is currently executing two projects for the Pakistan government that includes a hostel with Rahman Baba School and Naeeb Aminullah Khan Logri.

The projects are being funded by the Planning Division, under the US 100 million dollars reconstruction package for Afghanistan.

The company's CEO Imran Shaukat said the abductions were triggered by non-payment to the sub-contractors as the Planning Commission has failed to
make the due payments.

"We were not able to pay our sub-contractors in Afghanistan before the eid, leading to protest by the labourers and increased tension with the Pakistani staff, the CEO said.

He said the company was threatened of dire consequences and despite repeated requests for release of funds, none were released.

The government has not made any payments to it since April 2008, despite the submission of invoices of more than Rs 70 Million.

Four of the Pakistani engineers who were returning to Pakistan for eid holidays were abducted at Landi Kotal by the associates of the sub-contractors, he said.

He said the local administration, police, security agencies and the political agent have been informed, but no headway has yet been made and nor the agencies seemed to be concerned about this incident.

Airrs Associates is not the only victim and other several other Pakistani companies who are working on the Pakistan government funded projects are facing similar fate.