Ahmadis fair game for TTP kidnappers By Umer Nangiana Published: June 10, 2011 The Ahmadiyya community

had been at the militants hit-list particularly for kidna ppings for ransom. ISLAMABAD: Majid* was fortunate enough to see his family. But others from the Ah madiyya community abducted by the Taliban are not. Majid was in militants captivity for over six months at an unknown location in Mi ramshah tribal area. He was abducted from Sihala in December last year while on his way back home from his oil mills. His father, a billionaire, paid a hefty am ount, at least Rs8 billion, to buy back his sons life and freedom. Not everyone survives. Colleagues of Inspector Rana Pervaiz, another person from the community, fear he may have died in militants captivity. Pervaiz, mistaken for an Ahmadi property dealer Rana Tassaduq*, was kidnapped fr om Tarnol on the outskirts of Islamabad by militants from the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) Punjab (Asmatullah Muyawia Group). The group had kidnapped Majid the same month. Currently, we do not know where he (pervaiz) is being kept, or even if he is aliv e, said a senior police official. Over the past few months, the Ahmadiyya community had been at the militants hit-l ist particularly for kidnappings for ransom. It appeared that their (militants) only target were Ahmadis or personnel from the armed forces, said a police official, who had been investigating the cases of kid nappings by militants from TTP-Punjab. He added that Muyawia was directly involv ed in these kidnappings. Following the incidents, the Ahmadiyya Community Religious Centre in Islamabad i ssued alerts to its members warning them to stay on guard against kidnappings fo r ransom and extortions. The local polices helplessness and inefficacy against the militants have compelle d Ahmadis to shift their businesses and families abroad. Fearing the militants, the incidents are not reported. Islamabad polices failure in recovering one of their own officers has added to th e mistrust of the community. In Pervaizs case, the police failed to rescue him despite using pressure tactics. In April this year, the police claimed to have arrested Sabghatullah Muyawia, t he brother of Asmatullah. However, before showing his arrest they offered Asmatu llah to trade his brother for Pervaiz, but the latter did not reply. Asmatullah Muyawia was suspected to be the mastermind behind last years gun-and-b omb attack on Ahmadis places of worship in Lahore on May 28. * Names have been changed to protect privacy Published in The Express Tribune, June 10th, 2011.

Source : http://tribune.com.pk/story/185977/ahmadis-fair-game-forttp-kidnappers/