Suspected kidnapper shot dead

KIDNAPPED: Sahil Saeed

The main suspect behind the kidnapping of Shaw schoolboy Sahil Saeed has been shot dead by police in Pakistan.

Reports say the suspect, known as Safeer or Safeera, was shot as two armed men tried to free him as he was being taken from a court to his village to help investigate more crimes.

All three died when police opened fire, but Pakistani officers said they had recovered a laptop computer belonging to Sahil’s father and are convinced Safeer was the mastermind behind the kidnap last month.

Sahil (5), a pupil at Rushcroft School, lives in Shaw with his mum Akila Naqqash (31) and his sisters Anisha (4) and Hafsah (21 months). He was kidnapped the day he was due to return home from his gran’s house in Jhelum, Punjab, with his father Raja Naqqash Saeed (28) and held for 13 days.

An international police operation in England, France, Spain and Pakistan was launched and Sahil’s father and family raised a £110,000 ransom. But police were watching as the money was handed over and arrested three people in Spain, and two people in Paris.

Sahil’s family have asked the media to respect their privacy and would only say of the the latest twist in the case: “We want to wait for the outcome of the court proceedings in Pakistan and Spain, and have every faith in the different law enforcement agencies to bring this to a satisfactory conclusion.”

Greater Manchester Police said: “We continue to provide support to the family and the the Pakistani police and other European law enforcement agencies, and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, with the on going investigation.”

“It is requested that the family be left alone for the sake of the children so they can return to normal family life”.