Body of Lahore’s youth, kidnapped for ransom, found packed in suitcase

Body of the youth, who had been kidnapped from Altaf Colony, Jorra Pul in Lahore for ransom a few days ago, was found packed in a suitcase, reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Sunday.

Family members of the deceased, who was identified as 26-year-old Saqib Shafqat, said they had lodged a complaint with the police on November 29.

They further said they had been looking for him for the last four days, but without success.

His brother Asim Sammi said that Saqib was murdered at his aunt’s home, which was only a few streets away. “Since his disappearance, we had been receiving messages on our cellphones from unknown persons, who were demanding Rs1.5 million in ransom for his release,” he disclosed.

Asim explained that his brother had a friendship with his cousin (aunt’s son) Usama. “However, we have enmity neither with the aunt’s sons nor with anybody else,” he said, adding, “Usama and his family visited our home several times after Saqib had gone missing.”

Police, on the other hand, shifted the deceased’s body to a mortuary at General Hospital, besides collecting evidence from the crime scene. They later sealed the youth’s house.

Residents of the area said that it was Saqib’s cousin Usama, a suspect in the case, who had intimated the police about the incident. 

Reporter: Rana Faran Yamin