LARKANA, Jan 3: The medical superintendent of the Mirokhan Taluka Hospital and his driver were released by kidnappers late Wednesday night after they spent around 22 days in captivity.

Dr Abdul Wahab Wadho and his driver Musrat Abro had been kidnapped on Dec 12, 2012 near Thariri Hashim village within the remit of the Wagan police station when they were returning to Larkana from Hyderabad through the National Highway. They were released outside the Flood Protective Dyke, around 80 kilometres from Larkana, within the remit of the Qubo Saeed Khan police station.

Speaking to Dawn, Kambar-Shahdadkot SSP Dr Farukh Lanjar said that the police had taken relatives and female members of the kidnappers’ families into custody to pressure them to release the hostages.

He said that it had become almost impossible for the kidnappers to keep Dr Wadho and Mr Abro in captivity any longer, adding that they had been released near the Flood Protective Dyke without the payment of ransom.

The kidnappers were holding two other men, Imdad Kalhoro and Abdul Karim Khoso, hostage and the police were making efforts to recover them, he added.

Dr Wadho’s younger brother, Shafqat Wadho, confirmed the release of his elder brother and their driver Mr Abro.

He said that Dr Wadho had left for their hometown, Chakyani village, near Shahdadkot while Mr Abro had gone home to Mirokhan.

Giving details of the time spent in captivity by the two men, Shafqat said that his brother and Mr Abro had had been kept in the area of the Hamal lake where they had to spend bone-chilling nights with only one quilt.

Sources told Dawn that Dr Wadho and Mr Abro had been brought to Larkana from Qubo Saeed Khan by the Rangers.

They said that four more persons — Abdul Karim Khoso, Asghar Shutto, Imdad Kalhoro and six-year-old Amina Jamali — were also missing, adding that all of them belonged to Kambar-Shahdakdot district.

They said that young Amina had gone missing two years ago from the Gopang area in Kambar town and a case had been lodged with the police.