Three Pakistani Policemen Released After Negotiations With TTP in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Peshawar (Terror Monitor) — Three police personnel, including a station head clerk, who were abducted from the sensitive Nizampur area of Nowshera district in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, have been released following negotiations involving local elders and religious scholars, according to police sources.

The released personnel were identified as Head Constable Naeemullah, the head clerk at Nizampur Police Station, and Constables Noor Islam and Aamir Khan.

According to police sources, the three officers were abducted on Thursday afternoon near Piran Bala, close to the boundary between Nowshera and Kohat districts, along the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) road.

The incident began at approximately 2:15 p.m., when police received information that a police vehicle had broken down along the road. The station head clerk and two other policemen subsequently travelled to the location in a private vehicle to respond to the situation.

Upon reaching the area, they were taken hostage by an armed, masked terrorist, who also seized their government-issued weapons and wireless communication equipment, the sources said.

12-Member Jirga Holds Negotiations for Release

Following the abduction, a 12-member jirga comprising local elders and religious scholars was formed to secure the safe release of the three policemen.

The jirga travelled to the mountainous Ishri Dara area of Darra Adam Khel to negotiate with the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), according to sources familiar with the developments.

The negotiations reportedly took place over three rounds, after which the three abducted policemen were released.

Sources said the jirga agreed to a demand for the release of two wounded TTP commanders in exchange for the safe return of the police personnel. The sources further said the policemen were freed following the release of the two injured commanders.

However, the reported exchange arrangement has not been independently confirmed.

Police Yet to Confirm Details of Reported Exchange

Nowshera police officials have not publicly confirmed the details of the negotiations or the reported exchange involving the two wounded TTP commanders.

No official statement confirming the circumstances of the policemen’s release or the terms agreed upon during the negotiations was immediately available.

The incident highlights the security challenges facing police personnel in parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where the TTP and other armed groups have carried out attacks, abductions and assaults on law enforcement agencies.

The CPEC road network and areas bordering Nowshera and Kohat are strategically significant, making security along these routes an ongoing concern for Pakistani authorities.

The TTP, a banned militant organization, has waged an insurgency against the Pakistani state and security forces for years. The group has targeted police stations, security checkpoints and individual law enforcement personnel across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and other parts of the country.

The release of the three policemen following negotiations brings the immediate hostage situation to an end, although the circumstances surrounding the reported release of the two wounded TTP commanders remain unclear pending official confirmation.