KASUR, April 26 The parents of a man who was allegedly kidnapped by his employer five years ago are still waiting for his return.

Poor vegetable vendor Muhammad Alam's 27-year-old son Abid Hussain was allegedly kidnapped by his employer Sadiq Ali in 2004 after a salary row.

Alam told Dawn on Sunday that Hussain worked at Ali's welding workshop in Bagrian, Lahore. Ali did not pay Hussain his wages for five months. In reaction, Hussain lodged a complaint with Green Town police. Instead of taking action against Ali, the police registered a theft case against Hussain and his father Alam. Later, the Lahore High Court took notice of the police highhandedness, found the allegations baseless and told the police to quash the case. Hussain returned to his native home in Kot Ghulam Muhammad, Kasur.

After some days, Ali along with his accomplices Arif and Fiaz reached Kot Ghulam Muhammad, called Hussain from his house, bundled him into a car and took him to an undisclosed location. There is no clue to Hussain since, says his father. He paid several visits to Kasur's B-Division police for recovery of his son, but no one listened to him. He went to the Supreme Court and Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry ordered the police to register a case against Ali and rescue Hussain. On the court orders B-Division police registered a case (No. 47/04) against Ali and his accomplices under Section 365 of the Pakistan Penal Code in 2004 and begun an investigation.

Investigation was under way when President Pervez Musharraf sacked Justice Chaudhry. Soon after Justice Chaudhry's removal, the police shelved the investigation and left Hussain's parents in the lurch.

According to Alam, Ali also kidnapped his employee Sifat Elahi after a row relating to wages. However, Elahi was rescued after two months on the intervention of the Lahore High Court.

Now Hussain's parents are again looking to Justice Chaudhry for justice recovery of their son and action against those who kidnapped him and the criminally negligent police.

THREE INJURED Rivals injured two brothers and a passerby by fire for pursuing the murder case of their father in Thay Sheikhum police precincts on Sunday.

Akbar and his sons Khalil and Qaisar of Thay Sheikhum village shot dead Muhammad Anwar over a land dispute about six months ago. Anwar's sons Ashraf and Sharif are pursuing his murder case in a lower court.

The accused warned Ashraf and Sharif against pursuing the murder case, but they did not budge. They opened fire at the two brothers at a distance from the village and injured them seriously. Passerby Sanaullah was also injured in the indiscriminate fire.

The injured were taken to DHQ hospital from where they were sent to Lahore General Hospital. Police registered a case against the accused, but none of them was arrested till Sunday evening.