DERA GHAZI KHAN, March 1: The Loralai administration has arrested a dozen people from different areas in connection with the Feb 27 hijacking of a bus carrying 12 people, including an army official.

The arrested people reportedly belong to the Jafar gang notorious for similar crimes here and in Loralai.

Sources in Loralai said those arrested included Mohammed Rasool, Ayub, Imam Bakhsh, Khamisa, Dost Mohammed and Ahmed Jan.

Four members of the gang, including Majeed Jafar, are behind the bars in the central jail here in a kidnapping case while one, Najeed alias Azizullah, is undergoing life term in the Dera Ismail Khan jail.

Members of the gang led by Majeed Jafar kidnapped a boy, Hamza Usman, from the Khiyaban-i-Sarwar for ransom in 2003 but were traced by the Miranshah administration. The boy was recovered and the main accused, Azizullah, is in jail.

The mother of a kidnapper visited the house of Hamza Usman to seek pardon in accordance with the tribal tradition but was arrested on the report of the family.

The police sent her to jail on charges of attempting to kidnap the boy. She was released on bail a week later.

The gang sent a message to the administration threatening to take revenge of the insult to the woman, Bherawan Mai.

Most of the people on the hijacked bus are stated to be relatives of Hamza's family.

The outlaws intercepted the bus near Chamaz. They made all the passengers except 12 disembark before driving it away.

Our Staff Correspondent in Quetta adds: Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Mir Mohammad Yousuf on Monday ordered the authorities concerned to make all possible efforts for the safe recovery of the kidnapped people.

Presiding over a meeting that reviewed the law and order situation and the Loralai incident, he took serious notice of the delay in the recovery of the captives.

The officials concerned informed the meeting about the measures taken for the recovery of the kidnapped people.

The chief minister asked the Loralai district authorities to accelerate their efforts in this regard and seek the help of tribal elders of the area.

Officials in Loralai said the law-enforcement agencies continued their search operation in the mountainous areas of Sanjavi and Duki.

The district administration and the law-enforcement agencies expanded their operation to the Barkhan, Kohlu and Musakhal districts after receiving information that the kidnappers had shifted the hostages from the Sanjavi and Duki areas.

"We have arrested some influential people who have links with the outlaws involved in kidnapping the bus passengers," Loralai District Coordination Officer Shakeel Ahmed Hashmi said.

He said the group involved in the incident had been involved in kidnapping for ransom, murder, rocket firing and cases over the last 15 years. The kidnappers had not sent any demands to the authorities, he said.

Sources in Loralai said the district administration had sought the help of tribal elders and spiritual leaders to use their influence for the recovery of the hostages.