US-based Pakistani killed in Lahore

ISLAMABAD - A US-based Pakistani banker, who was abducted for ransom in his home country, has been killed, police said Friday.

Young Taimoor, 28, had visited Pakistan with his wife to spend some time with his family in Lahore, capital of Punjab province, when he was abducted.

Taimoor’s body has been recovered, police said. Five people, including a quack who wanted to use the brain of the deceased for making medicine for epilepsy, were arrested in this connection.

The abductors first demanded Rs.10 million in ransom which was later reduced to Rs.five million after negotiations with the family.

The family paid Rs.200,000 as upfront payment and sought time to arrange for the remaining amount.

While in captivity, Taimoor identified a couple of abductors, who got frightened and decided to get rid of him. The leader of the gang, a quack named Abdul Wahab, said Taimoor should be burnt alive and buried.

Police said the “accused took-out several organs of the deceased and sold them to illegal dealers of human organs in hospitals while the gang-leader wanted to keep the brain for making medicine for epilepsy”.

“They have admitted their crime,” Dunya TV reported.

A couple of friends of Taimoor were also among the accused who committed the crime thinking that he had returned from the US with a lot of money.

The deceased was a nephew of senior police officer Ghalib Ali Bandesha.