Rahim Yar Khan, May 17, 2026: Police in Rahim Yar Khan have recovered Nooruddin, a young man from Chitral who had gone missing from Islamabad, and presented him before the media, claiming that the incident was not a kidnapping but a self-staged disappearance.
According to police, the individual allegedly created fake kidnapping videos with the help of two accomplices and circulated them on social media to mislead authorities and avoid repayment of debts amounting to about 220 million rupees in online and automobile trade.
Investigators said the motive included avoiding repayment of debts and framing rivals in false cases.
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Two of Nooruddin’s accomplices were also presented before the media alongside him.
Addressing a joint press conference at the DPO Office on Sunday, the DPO and Deputy Commissioner of Rahim Yar Khan stated that Nooruddin’s disappearance had been reported on May 1 within the jurisdiction of Islamabad’s Aabpara Police Station.
Later, a video surfaced showing him allegedly in the custody of bandits in the riverine “Katcha” area, where a ransom demand of Rs50 million had reportedly been made for his release.
According to police officials, Rahim Yar Khan Police, CCD, Islamabad Police, and Military Intelligence jointly investigated the case, while the scope of the inquiry was also expanded.
During the briefing, the DPO said that initial investigations revealed Nooruddin had traveled to Karachi on his own and stayed for three to four days in Faqira Goth where some of his friends, allegedly linked to the Katcha area, were residing.
According to the police, Nooruddin later visited the Katcha area with those friends for recreational purposes and recorded a fake kidnapping video there, which he then sent to various individuals using his own phone number.
Police further stated that the video surfaced on May 13, and footage recorded on the same day also showed Nooruddin moving freely in the Katcha area. Officials maintained that this was not a kidnapping incident but rather a staged drama, adding that the matter had no actual connection with the Katcha region.
The DPO also confirmed that the two individuals who appeared in the video posing as bandits had been arrested. During the press conference, police displayed footage from Islamabad Safe City cameras, videos of Nooruddin and his friends roaming the Katcha area in boats, as well as recordings showing alleged torture scenes involving Nooruddin.
The DPO further disclosed that one of Nooruddin’s acquaintances in Karachi had arranged a vehicle for him, and complete details regarding the arrangement had been obtained. His other accomplices also reportedly explained how the fake kidnapping video had been produced.
DPO Rahim Yar Khan stated that peace had been restored in the Katcha areas of Rahim Yar Khan and Rajanpur, with successful operations conducted against criminal elements and several notorious suspects having surrendered.
Speaking on the occasion, the Deputy Commissioner said that the Punjab government was taking extensive measures for the development of the Katcha areas, improving law and order, and enhancing the standard of living of local residents.
He added that the incident had once again created the impression that the Katcha region was a hub of criminal activity; however, investigations had clarified that the matter was not a kidnapping case but an attempt by an individual to deliberately portray himself as abducted.