By Matt Dickinson, PA
A British boy kidnapped while on holiday in Pakistan nearly two weeks ago has been located safe and well, the British High Commission said today.
Sahil Saeed was snatched from a house in the Punjab region of the country on March 4 after robbers held his relatives hostage at gunpoint.
The family of the five-year-old were said to be "overjoyed" this morning after he was found safe and well.
Sahil's mother, Akila Naqqash, who had begged for his release, has now spoken to her son and is waiting for him to return to his home in Oldham, Greater Manchester.
"They are overjoyed," said a police liaison officer at the family home.
"For 12 or 13 days, waiting, building hopes up and then hopes going down. She is overjoyed.
"It is really happy, just really happy.
"They were made aware he had been found safe and well. Mother has spoken on the telephone and spoke to him for some time, a private conversation. He is safe and well.
"But the family do not want to say anything, they want to wait until he comes back".
This morning, family members went in and out of the terraced house with broad smiles of relief but refused to comment to reporters and TV crews outside.
Speculation about the circumstances surrounding Sahil's release continued this morning, with telegraph.co.uk reporting that a Punjab law minister had told a local news channel a ransom had been paid in a third country.
Sahil is understood to still be in Pakistan and his return is being organised by the British High Commission in Islamabad.
A spokesman confirmed today that the boy had been located safe and well.
Adam Thomson, the British High Commissioner in Islamabad, said: "This is fantastic news.
"It brings to an end the traumatic ordeal faced by Sahil Saeed's family.
"I would like to praise the high level of co-operation between the UK and Pakistani authorities and in particular I would like to thank the Jhelum police for their role in bringing about the safe return of Sahil".
Foreign Office officials said they were unable at present to provide any more details about the boy's release.
Sahil, from Oldham in Greater Manchester, was on holiday with his father, Raja Naqqash Saeed, in Pakistan when he was snatched.
Raiders struck as the pair were preparing to take a taxi to the airport for their flight home to the UK.
The kidnappers apparently demanded a £100,000 ransom for the boy's return and originally set a deadline of noon the next day for the money to be delivered.
His family promptly said there was "no way" they could afford any such payment.
After Sahil was taken, several men - including a taxi driver - were arrested.
His family suffered frustrations during the investigation, after Pakistani authorities said on several occasions that they were close to securing the boy's release.
Sahil's mother begged for the safe return of her son, telling the kidnappers at one point: "I just want my son back. All is forgiven, I will forgive you".
Sahil's father returned to the UK at the start of last week, despite reports that police in Pakistan wanted him to stay in the country as a witness.
Police official Ijaz Ahmed told the Associated Press Sahil was found earlier today in the town of Dinga in Punjab province.
Dinga is some 20 miles (30km) from his relatives' house in Jhelum where he was kidnapped.
Muhammad Aslam Tareen, the detective leading the investigation, told a news conference in Jhelum that Sahil had been released safe and well.
Speaking in Urdu and English, he said the inquiry was in three phases - "The first phase, which I cannot disclose at the moment, the second phase of recovery of the child safely, which we have achieved".
He added that he could not disclose the details of the "third phase" for fear of harming the investigation.
Mr Tareen indicated that police still did not have the suspects in custody.
"We will continue with the process until we get hold of the culprits," he said.
Greater Manchester Police assistant chief constable Dave Thompson expressed "some delight" and "considerable relief" at the release of Sahil.
He said the boy was released at 4.10am British time.
Mr Thompson added: "The release was made as a result of a phone call made to his family.
"He was released nearby to a school, alone, wandered into a local field and was found by some local residents who looked after him until such time his family found him with the police".
The Independent
