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Hostage terror of Oldham boy
Reporter: MARINA BERRY, KAREN DOHERTY, DAWN MARSDEN
Date online: 04 March 2010
Five year old snatched at gunpoint in Pakistan
A FIVE-YEAR-OLD Oldham boy is being held hostage in Pakistan for a £100,000 ransom after he was kidnapped at gunpoint.
Sahil Saeed was snatched this morning after his family were beaten, slapped and kicked by robbers during a six-hour ordeal.
His father, Raja Naqqash Saeed told Sky News: “They took me into a separate room and they tortured me.
“They said ‘we will take your son and you will have to pay £100,000.’”
The horrific ordeal took place at a house in the Punjab region, where the family were on holiday.
The robbers held the family at gunpoint throughout the night after breaking in at 11pm local time, a spokesman for the British High Commission in Islamabad said.
They eventually fled with the boy and household items, believed to be jewellery and money.
Mr Saeed said robbers armed with guns and hand grenades broke into the house where they were staying in Jhelum. He added: “They took my son. They were fully loaded with guns and hand grenades.
“All Pakistan police know about this, and the British Consul.”
He added: “The kidnappers are going to ring me.
“I don’t know what they are going to say to me — I don’t have that much money.”
The family had been due to fly back to Britain today, the commission spokesman added.
Officials are in touch with the boy’s family and local authorities are investigating the snatch, he added.
He said: “I can confirm that he was taken after robbers broke into the property at 11 last night.
“The kidnappers held the family at gunpoint overnight and left with the boy as well as some household possessions.
“We cannot confirm details of the ransom amount but the father has said it is £100,000.
“All I can say is we are in touch with the family and the local authorities are investigating.”
The kidnappers reportedly gave Mr Saeed until noon local time (7.30am UK time) to get the money.
The boy was believed to have been staying with his grandmother when he was taken.
The Foreign Office said it was providing consular assistance to the family.
Comments
Something not quite right about this story, or all isn't being told. Why this child and why £100,000 and who is behind it?
What was he doing being taken out of school during term time? We are seeing parents being prosecuted on a regular basis for this, I'm yet to see an ethnic minority parent prosecuted. Perhaps the Chron might care to ask the council why this racist and unfair system only seems to pick on one half of the populace whilst leaving the other alone?
And I bet this doesn't nake it past the censor it's called freedom of speech without the freedom part!
mmm. Sounds a bit suss to me. Should this boy not be in school??
Would be intersting to hear what they have to say about ransom money on this one consdering the normal stance
lets hope for the safe return of the young boy
May Allah bring him back home soon what a shocking news no law or nothing in pakistan.
There are several pathetic comments above from the uninformed Oldham folk. We have come to expect this from this town in recent times but I feel so sad.
A child is missing; we should all unite and send our thoughts to him and his family and pray for his safe return.
If you watched the ITV news you would have seen that the child went to Pakistan on exceptional circumstances, to visit his seriously ill grandmother. I wish and pray for the safe return of the innocent little boy.
Prodriver, Keith, Flake - your words of sympathy are comforting to the family I'm sure. Of course nobody else ever takes their children on holiday during school time, despite the Government making a fuss about this very same issue last year. Everybody was targetted.
The Police can say what they like about ransom money, but as a parent you have your own thoughts when its your child thats been kidnapped.
For you to make it a race issue, just shows the depth of right whinge bigotry.
Hope the lad is returned safe and unharmed soon. Let's hope the cynics are wrong.
Our prays should be with the young boy and his family lets hope for some good news at the end of this shocking ordeal.
In or out of school what does it matter if, as being stated, the child is in danger? Children's parents can apply for leave for them during term time for various reasons and permission has to be granted before a child can take a vacation.
a very sad story,but this ramson cannot be payed otherwise we will be seeing alot of this .Every time some one goes to pakistan we could see a kidnapping,another means of getting this child back home is needed
Fightback you really do need to get a sense of persepective, your ignorance is stunning and you are so ready to put everything down to right wing racism.
I'm quite sure that the family isn't going to read the blog at this time, and that peoples concerns are a given, however the comment are against the education department not against the Asian community. I know that schools do treat people differently (BTW that can be described as racist) describing these vists as 'educational' so parents
Aren't prosectuted.
You might remember the McCann family whose daughter was taken? There was plenty of criticism of them leaving her alone and suggestions that they might have had a hand in it. Was this a white race whinge too?
I'm afraid that you are going to have to accept that when people are breaking the law (as this family were) people are going to criticise them. Surely you are not suggesting that all criticism of ethnic minorities should be banned?
A sense of persepective.
We are praying for your safe return to your family Sahil.
Our thoughts are with your parents, especially your lovely mum. Please God that all will be well.
Flake, have you no sense of decency
Caitlin are you another suggesting that criticism should not be heard?
Ban criticism of the McCanns, ban criticism of the Chandlers caught by Somali pirates despite being warned of the danger, in fact why not ban everything that's not fluffy and nice!
Sorry Caitlin the world is hard place, time to wake up & smell the coffee.
Everyone hopes that each will be returned safely, but I believe that both sides of the story should be voiced.
Flake, A clarification has already been made that the grandmother was critically ill and therefore the boy went with his father to see his grandmother.
The point is your ignorant whinging has no basis at all.
Every school has a strict policy when it comes to taking children out during term time without exception.
Since you have expressed no concern whatsoever for the young boys safety, it is sickening that you use such an incident for som cheap 'point scoring'.
i live in manchester and there were comments left on our local paper but not one comments was around the fact he should of been in school! shows what kind of tensions in oldham!Flake makes comments out of line all the time on various subjects esp. towards ethnic backgrounds yet Mods let him voice his views! You might not see it coz you live inside oldham and might thinks its normal but i can see it and i live outside oldham.
it does'nt matter whether the boy should be in school, mcdonalds, brazil, the fact is its wrong kidnapping, some of the comments on this story is just disgusting, no compassion shown towards the boy and his family. All you care about is WHY HE WASNT IN SCHOOL? maybe if this was your only and yes only child how would you be feeling? yes pakistan is a corrupt country we all know that! SHOW SOME FLAMING SYMPATHY AND UNITE TOGETHER!
and i was meant to say if you had an only son, please all you pray for a happy return and leave your pathetic views to yourself
Muslim Oldhamer where is this slarification? A 5 year old boy taken into a high risk area against the advice of the foreign office (check it on their website). I believe parent have a responsibility towards their children and that in this case criticism can be levelled. In cases like this often the victims contribute in some way (McCanns, chandlers), but dare to criticise an ethinic minority and some idiot will scream racism.
I feel for the poor little boy, but the parents have some responsib
Flake - As usual you come on writing right whinge rubbish. Ignorance was commenting before knowing the full facts. As stated he had permission to go from the school. But for you getting the dig in was more improtant than the truth, whose ignorant and looking it now!
No school applies a policy based on the colour of a pupil, thats insulting to the teachers, governors and parents!!
Children taking out of school during term time is done during exceptional circumstances and through permission from the school. It sickens me that some people that have commented on this article have missed the real issue that a young boy has been taken by armed men in a foreign country, and instead of wishing/praying for his safe return they feel the need to comment on race.
I pray that Sahil is returned to his family safely and he is able to recover from this bad experience in his life.
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/law/article738664.ece
I think that proves the point. If you can show me from the number of prosecutions locally that this is being administered fairly I'll take it back.
Fightback, rubbishing peoples concerns by labeling them as right wing whingers simply because they criticise ethnic minorities will lead to the growth of right wing parties. If you want to argue a point use facts not name calling. If you can that is!
Flake - Re-read the article. School has to give permission. You assume (and I know why) that he didn't have permission. Do you work in the school, do you have a crystal ball? -Quote facts not assumtions.
You show me the number of prosecutions being adminstered unfairly locally, or were you making assumptions- Quote facts not assumptions.
Right whinge growth - is encouraged by myth spreaders - my opinion, may be fact. You want free rein to criticse minorities,forget it - fact
Yet again you miss the point Fighback! Permission is always given to ethnic minorities because of the social engineering of the liebor partie. No one dares oppose them because they'll end the career of anyone who does. look at the article again you'll see that the parent there was prosecuted for taking the child to the finals of an internaional competion for only one week.
This isn't a whinge about minorities it's about socialist inequality.
BTW the prosecutions are 100% white only.
Repeating the myth does not make it true, do you know this child was taken with permission. Are you adamant the teachet/headteacher sat there and said "forget the merits of the request, whats the colour/ethnicity of the boy...". That is a pathetic point of view.
Once again where are your facts to support your views, dont you think the prosecution was valid when the reason was a "tournament"?
100% prosecutions are white - source please!!
Have Your Say
Lets hope he gets back safe but should this boy not have been in school?
By Libertine @ 04/03/2010 12:20:29