Asian Image News

Sahil on way home

11:47am Thursday 18th March 2010

The five-year-old boy from Oldham freed by kidnappers in Pakistan after his family paid a £110,000 ransom is on his way home, sources have said.

Sahil Saeed and his father Raja Naqqash Saeed are believed to be on a plane back to Manchester from Islamabad.

The five-year-old was released on Tuesday after being snatched at gunpoint in Pakistan two weeks ago.

He was reunited with members of his family, including his father, at the home of the British High Commissioner on Thursday.

Footage released of the reunion showed Sahil sending a message to his mother back home.

Prompted by his father, the five-year-old said: “Mummy, I miss you. Mummy, I love you.”

A spokesman for the commission said: “Everyone was in very good spirits and of course delighted about his return. Sahil was playing football with his father in the garden and seemed really happy.”

A statement released by Mr Saeed said he was “completely overjoyed” at being reunited with his son. The statement continued: “Sahil is doing well, is in good spirits, and can’t wait to return to the UK to see his mum, his family, and join his friends back at school.

”I would like to pay tribute to the tireless efforts of the Pakistani and UK authorities that resulted in the safe return of Sahil to us. I would also like to thank everyone for their messages of support that my family and I have received over the course of the last two weeks.

”As we return back to the UK, I ask that the media shows restraint and respects our family’s privacy as we spend some quality time with Sahil.”

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