ISLAMABAD: The body of a young man who was abducted from Islamabad’s F-6 area has been recovered from Mardan, police said on Tuesday, adding that the victim appeared to have been subjected to torture.
According to police, the body was shifted to Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), where a post-mortem examination is scheduled to take place.
The deceased was identified by his family as 30-year-old Farrukh Afzal. His relatives said he was abducted in front of his father and claimed that the kidnappers opened fire when they attempted to resist.
Speaking to Geo News, a relative said Afzal had arrived home late at night, around 12:04am, and was getting out of his car when three individuals tried to abduct him.
“A neighbour called the police, and his parents rushed out after hearing his screams, but the armed kidnappers took him away,” he said. He added that the victim could have been saved if police had acted promptly and set up blockades.
“However, no action was taken, which is why such an incident occurred in the safe city of Islamabad, particularly in F-6/1, which is close to the Red Zone,” he said, questioning how armed men could abduct someone in Islamabad and later kill him in Mardan.
Police, meanwhile, said the abduction occurred when the victim was returning home and opening the gate of his residence in F-6/1. Four armed men forcibly took him away in a vehicle after firing gunshots.
A first information report (FIR) was registered at Kohsar police station on the complaint of the victim’s father.
According to the FIR, the complainant rushed outside after hearing noise around midnight and saw four to five unidentified individuals abducting his son. When he and neighbours tried to intervene, the suspects opened fire and fled with the victim.
Police said the main suspect, along with a woman accomplice, has been arrested in Swat. The vehicle used in the kidnapping has also been recovered.
Authorities added that investigations are ongoing from multiple angles, and efforts are underway to trace other suspects involved in the incident.