SAHIL SAEED, the five-year-old British boy freed by kidnappers in Pakistan for a £110,000 (€112,000) ransom, was reunited with his family yesterday as details emerged of the police surveillance operation across four countries to secure his safe release.
He arrived at Manchester airport shortly before 6.30pm last night and was due to return to his home in Oldham, where relatives and friends had erected a “welcome back” sign and decorated the house with balloons.
Sahil’s mother endured two weeks of waiting for news after he was kidnapped from his grandmother’s house in Jhelum, Punjab province, where he was on holiday with his father, Raja Naqqash Saeed (28).
Earlier yesterday, his overjoyed father was reunited with his son, finally holding Sahil in his arms during a reunion at the British high commission in Islamabad, before the pair boarded the flight to Manchester.
During an emotional fortnight, Mr Saeed flew from Pakistan to Manchester, from where he was directed to go to Spain, then redirected to France, for a rendezvous to hand over the money – all the while shadowed by police officers.
Sahil was snatched on March 4th when four armed men broke into his grandmother’s home and tied up and terrorised 10 family members before ransacking the house. Pakistan police believe the men’s initial intention was not kidnap, but this changed when they found the boy’s passport and realised his potential value.
In Islamabad, before leaving for Britain, Sahil appeared unfazed by his ordeal, playing football with a cousin and sending a message to his mother, Akila Naqqash (31): “Mummy, I miss you. Mummy, I love you.” – (Guardian service)