Shortly after a video footage of the kidnapped district and sessions judge of South Waziristan district, Shakirullah Marwat, surfaced on Sunday, with him appealing to the government and chief justice of Pakistan to accept the demands of his captors, he was recovered from the captivity.

The advisor to the KP CM, Barrister Saifullah, confirmed Sunday night that the judged had been recovered safely. He said more details will be released soon.

The KP counter terrorism department (CTF) said the judge had been reunited with his family.

Earlier a video surfaced showing the judge speaking to the camera as he was being held by the militants.

“Yesterday, Taliban brought me here with themselves from DI Khan-Tank Road which is a jungle and is a warlike situation,” he said in a video.

Marwat was kidnapped by unidentified gunmen from the Garah Mohabaat Adda area of Dera Ismail Khan district on Saturday.

According to the first information report, the judge was intercepted by around 25 to 30 armed motorcyclists when his vehicle reached Muhabat Mor while travelling on the DI Khan-Tank Road towards Dera Ismail Khan.

While Marwat is posted to the South Waziristan district, the sessions court functions from Tank due to security concerns.

“They have some demands and until they are met, my release is not possible,” Marwat said and while responding to his family he said he was fine. But he reiterated that his release depended on the demands of his captors.

He urged the Peshawar High Court chief justice, KP government, federal government, and CJP to fulfil their demands “immediately” and ensure his release.

A special committee was formed by the government in the case. The committee comprised members of the Counter Terrorism Department, police, and law enforcement agencies. Moreover, a separate team of the CTD is also investigating the case.

Police claimed to have arrested several suspects for investigation.

The FIR stated that the terrorists freed the judge’s driver to send their message to the authorities. The militants said that their family members have been kept in jails. They warned the authorities of severe response if demands were not met.

The FIR was registered on Section 7 (Punishment for acts of terrorism) of the Anti-Terrorism Act and sections 148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapon) and 149 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

The provincial government tightened the security on the borders of Tank and DI Khan and ordered that every vehicle must be checked before entering Punjab.

Meanwhile, the Peshawar High Court has taken notice of Marwat’s kidnapping.

The PHC has ordered the inspector general of KP Police and the additional chief secretary for Home to take tangible efforts for the recovery of the abducted judge. On a provisional report submitted by the registrar of the PHC, the high court Chief Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim and two senior judges Justice Ejaz Anwar and Justice SM Atiq Shah summoned the police officer concerned.

Ahsan Majid, the ACS Home, assured that all available resources were being utilised for the retrieval of the judge as per the directives of the court.

He added that after the alleged abduction of the judge, all matters pertaining to the case were being personally monitored by the judge himself.