Khairpur journalist staged his kidnapping: police

SUKKUR: Khairpur journalist Fayyaz Solangi staged his kidnapping, the police said on Sunday.

Khairpur SSP Touheed Rehman Memon and Kashmore SSP Zubair Nazir Sheikh, during a press conference in Khairpur, said that journalist Fayyaz Solangi staged his kidnapping in connivance with his uncle.

They further said that Solangi had a land dispute with his cousins and thus filed a false case against them.

The police in Kashmore arrested Solangi and his uncle who was involved in staging the kidnapping, they added.

They said that a few days ago, a video went viral on social media and various TV channels, showing journalist Fayyaz Ahmed Solangi being tortured by the kidnappers.

Following this, the Sindh chief minister, home minister, and IGP took notice of the incident and sought report from the Sukkur DIG, asking for swift recovery of the journalist. A case was registered at Sobhodero police station on the complaint of Fayyaz Ahmed Solangi’s brother.

They said that Sukkur DIG Captain retired Faisal Abdullah Chachar in order to recover the kidnapped journalist formed a team which investigated the case using modern technology. Accused Shah Dost arrested by the Kashmore Police revealed during the investigation that he did not kidnap Fayyaz Solangi but detained him on the orders of Mazhar Solangi, who is Fayyaz’s uncle.

The police took Mazhar Solangi into custody and conducted further investigations, which revealed that the kidnapping of Solangi was fake and staged.

Mazhar Solangi admitted that he was having a dispute with his cousins over a land dispute and he staged the journalist’s kidnapping to use the police and media to put pressure on the opponents.

The police took further action and arrested the accused and recovered Fayyaz Ahmed Solangi from Jamal area of Katchha in Kashmore district.

Khairpur Police registered a case against journalist Fayyaz Solangi and six others for staging kidnapping. Four suspects, including Fayyaz Solangi, were arrested, while two suspects were still at large, Khairpur SSP said.