Kidnapped British boy recovered in Pakistan

Sahil´s mother, Akila Naqqash, who had begged for his release, spoke to her son and is waiting for him to return to his home in England.

JHELUM, March 16, 2010 (AFP) - A five-year-old British boy kidnapped at gunpoint while on a family holiday in Pakistan nearly two weeks ago has been released safe and sound, relatives and officials said Tuesday.

Sahil Saeed was taken from his grandmother's house in the town of Jhelum, about 100 kilometres (65 miles) south of Islamabad, in the early hours of March 4 while preparing to leave with his Pakistani father to fly back to Britain.

"This is fantastic news. It brings to an end the traumatic ordeal faced by Sahil and his family," British High Commissioner (ambassador) Adam Thomson said in a statement read out by a spokesman for the diplomatic mission.

"I would like to praise the high level of cooperation between UK and Pakistani authorities and in particular I would like to thank the Jhelum police for their role in bringing about the safe return of Sahil," he added.

British and Pakistani officials said the boy was "safe and sound" but gave no details on when, where or how he had been released, nor confirmed his precise whereabouts, although local police said he was in their custody.

Relatives said they were delighted that Sahil was safe, but family members in Pakistan vigorously denied claims that the kidnapping was an inside job.

Sahil's mother, Akila Naqqash, who had begged for his release, spoke to her son and is waiting for him to return to his home in Oldham, northern England.

"They are overjoyed," said a police liaison officer at the family home.

"For 12 or 13 days, waiting, building hopes up and then hopes going down. She is overjoyed.

"It is really happy, just really happy," said the police officer.

Celebrating relatives in Pakistan handed out sweets in Jhelum to friends, neighbours and family members offering their congratulations.

"I am thankful to God that he has been recovered. We are so happy," his grandmother Tasneem Bashir told AFP.

Relatives said Sahil was taken by robbers who stole jewellery, cash and demanded a 120,000-dollar ransom, but Pakistan's Interior Minister Rehman Malik reiterated Tuesday that the family could have been involved in the abduction.

Speaking to reporters, Malik said: "The way the entire incident took place, the way the robbers came and took the child and the demand they put, all lead to the conclusion that there could be involvement of some family members."

"The child is with us," said Mohammed Azam, Jhelum district police chief, pledging to give further details later Tuesday.

Although kidnappings of Westerners are rare in Pakistan, kidnappings of locals are all too common in Pakistani towns and cities.

They are often related to family quarrels, love affairs, property disputes or simple quests for money -- particularly for the wealthier victims -- by criminal gangs, some of whom are connected to Islamist militant networks.

Sahil's Pakistani father had said the abductors stormed the house armed with guns and grenades, subjecting the family to a six-hour ordeal while he and his son were preparing to take a taxi to the airport and fly home.

Police quickly detained the taxi driver and had said they were confident of recovering the child.