Islamabad: A former governor of Afghanistan's Herat province who was abducted nearly two weeks ago from the Pakistani capital was freed on Friday after an after an exchange of fire with the kidnappers.
Sayed Fazlullah Wahidi was kidnapped on February 12 and was blindfolded and being transported by his kidnappers when they were stopped at a police checkpoint in Mardan, near northwestern city of Peshawar, an Afghan embassy official said.
He had come to Islamabad to get a visa for the UK.
Wahidi returned to Afghanistan consulate in Peshawar in the wee hours today, the official said. "He is fine and healthy. It is not sure who kidnapped him and why was he kidnapped," he said.
Wahidi was putting up in a guesthouse in Islamabad's posh F-7 sector when he went missing. So far no group claimed responsibility for the kidnapping
of the governor who was close to former president Hamid Karzai.
The governor is expected to come to Islamabad on Friday to meet Afghan ambassador. It is not sure whether he will stay to get the UK visa or go back to Afghanistan after the ordeal.
Afghan leaders urged UK to start issuing visa to Afghans in Kabul after the incident.
