7:05pm Saturday 6th March 2010
The mother of a British boy held captive in Pakistan said she forgave the kidnappers as she made an emotional plea for the safe return of her son.
Police in the Punjab region of the country were continuing to question several men over the abduction but there was no sign of an imminent rescue of five-year-old Sahil Saeed Sahil was grabbed by gun and grenade-wielding raiders on Thursday from his grandmother’s house. They were said to have demanded a £100,000 ransom.
Pakistan’s PM Yousuf Raza Gilani called Sahil’s father to assure him they have the full support of his government.
His mother, Akila Naqqash, made a direct appeal to the abductors from the family home in Oldham, Greater Manchester, to end their ordeal and let her son go.
The Foreign Office echoed that appeal and said its High Commission in Islamabad was in regular contact with the police officer leading the investigation.
In a message to the kidnappers, Ms Naqqash, 31, said: “I just want my son back. All is forgiven, I will forgive you.
”You may have children yourself. I forgive you.”
The tearful mother said the family were still nervously awaiting updates from Pakistan where her husband, Raja Naqqash Saeed, received assurances from the country’s prime minister that they were making every effort to recover the boy.
Ms Naqqash said: “All we can do is just pray for him. I am hopeful, I am just praying all day and every night,” she said.
”All we are doing is waiting.”
Ms Naqqash renewed her appeal to Prime Minister Gordon Brown and governments worldwide to step up their efforts to help in the hunt for the youngster.
She pleaded: “Gordon Brown and other countries, just do anything to get my son back. We can just hope and pray, and see what they can do.”
She thanked well-wishers from across the country who have sent cards to the family.
”It is a really good comfort that people from the UK have sent us cards of support.
”Sahil’s friends have made pictures for him. We have had loads of support from everyone. All I can say is thank you.”
The family confirmed that Pakistan’s PM Yousuf Raza Gilani called Sahil’s father to assure him of his government’s full support and co-operation.
Sky sources said Mr Naqqash Saeed spoke to the kidnappers on the phone yesterday and was told “the boy is with us and we will call you later”.
A Foreign Office spokesman said: “Our thoughts are with Sahil and his family at this extremely distressing time. Consular staff are continuing to provide support to the family, both in the UK and Pakistan.
”Our High Commission in Islamabad is also in regular contact with the police officer leading the investigation. Pakistani police are conducting vigorous inquiries and we know Sahil’s case is being overseen at the highest levels in the Pakistani Government.
”The Foreign Secretary (David Miliband) is following the case closely and is receiving regular updates from the British High Commission. We call on whoever is holding Sahil to return him to his family.”
The raiders struck as Sahil and his father were preparing to fly home, apparently subjecting the family to a six-hour ordeal after breaking into the house in Jhelum.
An expert on hostage situations said it was in the kidnappers’ interests to keep Sahil alive and well.
James R Alvarez, a psychologist who acts as a consultant to hostage negotiation teams, said: “Most of the time kidnappers don’t kill hostages because they are not worth as much dead as alive.
”The inescapable logic is that it is in the kidnappers’ interests that the hostage remains alive and well.”
He warned, though, that emotions were heightened in cases where children were kidnapped.
Sahil’s family was yesterday forced to deny angrily that the kidnap was an “inside job”.
They spoke out after Wajid Shamsul Hasan, the Pakistani High Commissioner in the UK, said there was “a possibility of someone in the family having some sort of knowledge”.
Dr Alvarez said it was possible that someone on the periphery could be involved, particularly in less developed countries.
”You could have the involvement of the boyfriend of a servant or something like that, or somebody who works at the bank where they have a bank account.
”Corruption happens everywhere, but where a country is less developed, it perhaps does not have the structures and the political will to go after corruption in the way that it’s done in the western world.”
He said those arrested would be interviewed - and they may or may not have anything to do with the case.
”It might be a case where the politicians round up the usual suspects to be seen to be doing something.
”The kidnappers must come into contact with the family or the authorities - they will have spent a lot of time, effort and resources setting this up.”
By Kim Pilling
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