Police rescued the missing PTI focal person and Imran Khan’s lawyer, Intezar Panjutha, early Sunday in Attock, Punjab. His alleged kidnappers reportedly abandoned him within the jurisdiction of Hassan Abdal Police Station.
A police spokesperson said a suspicious vehicle travelling from Islamabad to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was signalled to stop on GT Road. When the driver ignored the signal, police set up a blockade, causing the kidnappers to flee, leaving the vehicle and Panjutha behind.
Upon rescue, Panjutha was found tied up. Police untied him, gave him water, and transported him to a safe location. Panjutha shared that he was severely tortured and had been abducted on October 8 for a ransom of Rs 20 million.
He added that the abductors spoke in Pashto, which he could not understand. “They kept me tied up until Saturday evening,” Panjutha said, explaining that they moved him continuously for three to four hours. “I don’t know where they took me or how far we traveled,” he added.
Earlier, on Saturday, Attorney-General for Pakistan Mansoor Awan informed the Islamabad High Court that Panjutha would be found within 24 hours. During the court hearing on the recovery petition, IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq told the AGP to appear in court at the next hearing if Panjutha was not found. The AGP assured the court of Panjutha’s recovery by the following Day.
