Twenty minor girls belonging to Federally Administered Bajaur Agency recovered from a house in Karachi were flown in to Peshawar and handed over to Political Agent of Bajaur agency on Saturday.

On Nov 27th, Police had recovered 36 minor girls from a house in Liaquatabad’s C-1 area of Karachi.

Apparently, there was some monetary dispute between the principal teacher of the Madrassa, Ms. Hameeda, and Mr. Ayub, a canteen operator in the seminary. Ms. Hameeda, left the girls in the house of Mr. Ayub to recover her debt.

Ms. Hameeda’s move was to recover her loan by making Ayub feed the girls at his house. “She just brought the girls into our house and left them here”, said a family member of Mr. Ayub.

“We remained in the house of that family for three days”, said a little girl. “We were treated very well”, she said.

Most of the girls had good things to say about their teacher and Mr. Ayub, an apparent sign of Stockholm syndrome, a psychological phenomenon where the hostages express positive feelings towards their captors.

“We used to communicate with our daughter every week or two”, said a father of one of the girls while talking to voice of journalists.

Political Agent of Bajaur Agency, Yahya Akhunzada, on the directives of KP Governor,  had arranged for the girls to reach Peshawar via a plane. Assistant Political Agent, Fayaz Sherpao, was accompanying the girls during their flight from Karachi to Peshawar.

Upon reaching Peshawar Airport, the girls were presented with shawls and other gifts by Azam Khan, additional chief secretary (FATA).

FATA secretariat had arranged two buses to take the girls Bajaur Agency where they were handed over to the Political Agent. The girls were then handed over to their family members after thorough investigation.