(Thumbnail image: Metro)


"I talked to him as well on the phone, my little boy, and that is you know that is my little boy you know and that reassured me that he is safe and he has been released from the kidnappers."

Sahil Saeed and his father were visiting family in Pakistan when intruders held them at gunpoint for several hours, stole money and took the five year old from his father.


Although Sahil is with relatives now in Pakistan, questions linger as officials in Pakistan and the U.K. continue to investigate. Sky News spoke with a Pakistani law minister who initially said the family paid ransom to get the boy back.


"Yes I can confirm that ransom is paid in this case but not in Pakistan but outside Pakistan. And I can't disclose the name of that country in which the ransom has been paid."

Later, the minister retracted his statement to Sky News, saying there was no ransom. Mr. Saeed confirms this on ITN.  

"They can take me they can do whatever they want to do with me. I don't care about that.  I know I don't have any money."

Pakistani officials tell NTDTV they suspect relatives were involved in the abduction. NTDTV reports kidnapping in Pakistan is not uncommon and has been linked to terrorism.

"Police say Taliban militants use ransoms from kidnappings to fund their insurgency against the U.S. backed government but there are no signs that the kidnapping was linked to militants."

Red 24, a security firm tells the Telegraph:

"Pakistan is in the top five countries in the world for kidnap for ransom incidents... the abduction was symptomatic of the extremely weak police force and the general breakdown of law and order in Punjab."

And as the investigation continues, Sahil's mother tells the Telegraph she just wants to be reunited with her son.

"All I'm just waiting for my little boy to come back. That's all that's in front of my eyes. That's all I want now."



Writer: Veronica Wells

World News

Kidnapped UK Boy Freed as Questions Remain

March 17, 2010
(2:00)
The kidnapping of one British boy highlights a larger problem in Pakistan.
   
TRANSCRIPT

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