Delight as Sahil is reunited with father

March 18, 2010

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Sahil and father Raja are reunited in Islamabad (Picture: BBC News)

Sahil and father Raja are reunited in Islamabad (Picture: BBC News) 1/3 Play Slideshow

The five-year-old boy freed by kidnappers in Pakistan after his family paid a £110,000 ransom was “really happy” to be reunited with his father today, a spokesman for the British High Commission said.

Sahil Saeed, who was released on Tuesday after being snatched at gunpoint in Pakistan two weeks ago, met Raja Naqqash Saeed at the home of the British High Commissioner in Islamabad.

A spokesman for the commission said: “Everyone was in very good spirits and of course delighted about his return.

“Sahil was playing football with his father in the garden and seemed really happy.”

Members of Sahil's extended family, including his grandmother, were also at the reunion.

British police helped with £100,000 ransom that got Sahil freed

Sahil and his father are expected to fly back to the UK, where their family are waiting at home in Oldham, Greater Manchester.

Sahil was on holiday with his father and other relatives in Jhelum in the Punjab region when he was snatched by gunmen on March 4.

He was found by locals wandering alone in a field around 15 miles away on Tuesday and handed over to police.

The boy has since been looked after by British officials while his father travelled from the UK.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown, on a visit to a new cancer treatment unit in Sahil’s home town Oldham, welcomed the boy’s return to the UK.

Mr Brown said: “I do think it is very good news. After 12 days, Sahil will be able to return to this country.

“I know he’s been re-united with his father at the British High Commission. I think we have got to recognise the exceptional role played by Greater Manchester Police and thank the Pakistan government.

“This is a co-ordinated effort to help a young boy, only five and separated from his family and now reunited with his father.

Happy

“People, of course, are very, very happy that this potentially tragic story is ending in Sahil coming back to our country today.

“We will be offering our good wishes to the family.

“It’s obviously been a very anxious time for everybody and the whole country has been following this sad episode, where a five-year-old to be separated from his family is really a very terrible experience.

“We have got to have some understanding of what people have been going through, particularly Sahil, who hopefully will get back to enjoying his life.”

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Showing comments 1 to 9 and replies | View All

Khalid Iqbal, Longsight Town (18/03/2010 at 10:15)

The Prophet Muhammad has smiled kindly on boy Sahil family and will now look down with wrath on bad peoples kidnappers with much punishment.

thoughtful, East of Manchester (18/03/2010 at 10:54)

It's a good job that the gang decided to change the payment venue from Manchester to Paris where competent Police were able to track them to the Spanish border, where another competent Police force made the arrests.
If the hand over had been made in Manchester we'd still be wating for GMP to find officers available, and then they'd probably have turned up at the wrong place or lost them in a chase!

Laura Norder, Didsbury (18/03/2010 at 11:45)

"It's a good job that the gang decided to change the payment venue from Manchester to Paris where competent Police were able to track them to the Spanish border, where another competent Police force made the arrests. If the hand over had been made in Manchester we'd still be wating for GMP to find officers available, and then they'd probably have turned up at the wrong place or lost them in a chase!" - thoughtful, East of Manchester

You really need specialist help with your obsession.

Bite the bullet, tell us all why you despise police - and lawyers - in what would appear equal measure.

Get nicked for speeding/shoplifting/late library book, did you?

nn, STOCKPORT (18/03/2010 at 13:04)

FOR ALL THE PEOPLE AND THEIR SAD COMMENTS THAT THERE WAS SOMETHING NOT QUITE RIGHT WITH THIS STORY,THAT THE FATHER WAS INVOLVED...

YOU CAN ALL SHUT UP NOW AND GET A LIFE!!!

PAH , Manchester (18/03/2010 at 14:21)

It's a good job that the gang decided to change the payment venue from Manchester to Paris where competent Police were able to track them to the Spanish border, where another competent Police force made the arrests. If the hand over had been made in Manchester we'd still be wating for GMP to find officers available, and then they'd probably have turned up at the wrong place or lost them in a chase!

thoughtful, East of Manchester
18/03/2010 at 10:54

What a muppet you are. You try the job yourself and you will realise you are chundering out of your hairy behind.

Imtiaz Begum, Birmingham (19/03/2010 at 19:58)

It is pretty apparent that the effort to recover the little boy was on a very wide scale, involving collaboration between different governments, police forces in different countries etc. If it wasn't for this level of communication and team work, the outcome may have been different. Also the level of media attention this case recieved in addition to the child being a british citizen evidently made a significant difference. One has to remember there are many children that are kidnapped in lesser fortunate countries, where the police don't take interest let alone the media.
Overall a great result due to hard work put in by many-leading to the safe return of Sahil.

Vote for David, tory land (20/03/2010 at 17:11)

And a couple of Anglo Saxons in Somalia are left to rot.....

Imtiaz Begum, Birmingham (20/03/2010 at 20:28)

"And a couple of Anglo Saxons in Somalia are left to rot..... "

Far from it-this is an ongoing case and the government is doing whatever it can-but WILL NOT pay a ransom, just as it didnt in the little boys case.Wake up.

“Strong and bitter words indicate a weak cause.”-Victor Hugo

Vote for David, tory land (22/03/2010 at 16:33)

As the law stands at present it is illegal to pay a ransom to kidnappers in the UK to hostage takers or whatsoever. As the ransom was not paid out in the UK it was, I suppose it was OK and my wording has not been strong and bitter. The kidnappers seem to be a pretty vile bunch and perhaps that was why the payment was allowed, I do not think we have heard the last of this as a lot of pain has been caused.

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