LAHORE: According to the province capital’s police on Tuesday, the accused mastermind of the group that kidnapped and held acclaimed playwright Khalilur Rehman Qamar hostage has been detained.
“Hasan Shah, the gang’s leader, and his accomplice have been taken into custody. He and his companion, Rafiq, were taken into custody in Peshawar, an official told Geo News, adding that the suspect had also sent a playwright video that was deemed “objectionable” viral.
It was said that a woman had enticed Qamar to her house late at night by pretending to talk about a new play production. A few minutes after he arrived, armed guys entered the residence and began assaulting him. He supposedly had to pay the gang members a sizable ransom before he could be released.
Although the incident happened on July 15, the first information report (FIR) was only filed on July 21 in accordance with PPC Sections 365 (kidnapping or abducting with intent to covertly and illegally detain somebody) and 395 (punishment for dacoity).
The Organised Crime Unit (OCU) of Model Town arrested 12 individuals after receiving a complaint from Qamar, among them was Amina Urooj, one of the primary suspects.
While the police look into the matter, Urooj and eleven other people are presently being held on remand.
The dramatist, who is well-known for his widely watched tragedies Meray Paas Tum Ho and Pyarey Afzal, had met the woman at 4:40 a.m. after receiving medical advice to “not go out in the daytime for five years.”