Ransom Paid for return of Kidnapped child

[Frederick]

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5h4clBslE4VioPBtXC--XGJ_COnIQD9EFPET00

I am delighted the boy came to no harm and has been returned to his family   However I thought the UK  supported a policy of none payment to kidnappers for  British Citizens held .  What is the Policy now ?.. Or do we have a country within a country where one group can go their own way and negociate with their former countrymen  contrary to the laid down position of the UK governement ?.. The couple taken by pirates must be feeling really bad today if they can hear the world news ... Any UK Pakistan connected family going back should be feeling uneasy about this outcome as they are now at risk of being lifted off the street !

[Chancer]

When you say the UK supporting a policy fo non payment I assume you mean the UK government.

If so what makes you think that it is they that have paid the ransom?

Editted. I have reread your post and think you mean that the family or benevoles have paid contrary to te governments policy, good luck to them I say, ministers all seem to live a "do as I say, not as I do" existence as witnessed by the expenses scandal.

[Quillan]

It was not the government that paid the ransom thats for sure. Most of the papers now are saying it was the family and friends that paid although facts are thin on the ground.

Kidnapping is very popular in Pakistan which is why many UK Pakistanis don't go back anymore for family visits etc. Somehow this became a high profile case but it is only the tip of the iceberg.

[Frederick]

The British High Commission has been involved ...What message does that send out ? Offical support for the payment even if the hat was passed round in the UK to get £100.000 together ?.. If so why havent the UK newspapars for example asked for contributions from the public to pay the pirates for the English Couple held ..Mrs Thatcher was supposed to have said "Britain does not pay ransoms " and that seems to have been a fixed position . Perhaps a fund will be started we can chip into we can get them home next week ! but I wont hold my breath !

[NickP]

[quote user="Frederick"]The British High Commission has been involved ...What message does that send out ? Offical support for the payment even if the hat was passed round in the UK to get £100.000 together ?.. If so why havent the UK newspapars for example asked for contributions from the public to pay the pirates for the English Couple held ..Mrs Thatcher was supposed to have said "Britain does not pay ransoms " and that seems to have been a fixed position . Perhaps a fund will be started we can chip into we can get them home next week ! but I wont hold my breath ![/quote]

 

Not only Mrs Thatcher said Britain should not pay ransoms, I say the same.  I spent most of my  life working abroad, when I was asked to go some were I thought or knew was not safe I said "no thanks" I have the greatest sympathy for the "Yacht couple".But they were warned not to sail were they sailed.

[Chancer]

It doesnt matter what Mrs Thatcher said or what the government or high commission say either, if a family or friends want to pay the ransom and have the means to do so then they can, irrespective of what message it sends out or whether the official policy is or is not sensible they are not breaking any laws.

It is also I feel a very private matter for those poor individuals faced with this situation, for their sake, I for one am glad that the newspapers aren't making a fuss about their decision to pay the ransom.

[Dog]

UK government may deny paying ransoms and it is policy to deny paying ransoms just like they deny paying bribes and it is policy not to pay bribes.

[Quillan]

Bit like we don't do torture either although we make the equipment, try googling 'UK made torture equipment', we are talking house hold names here. Unfortunately the government does not make money from paying ransoms but they do make a lot on export tax on this nasty equipment. Mind you they are now loosing out because some of the equipment is made abroad under licence from these UK companies. When you start digging its really not a very nice world and us Brits are not exactly whiter than white either.

Anyway the boy has been returned, a life has been saved, something good has happened for a change.

[Chancer]

The ransom wasnt paid, it was just a short term loan to the kidnappers.

[Pierre ZFP]

Quite a satisfactory outcome really

Child returned unharmed

Kidnappers nabbed

Money returned

Could have gone a lot worse.

 

[nectarine]

now don't all shout, but from the outset was I the only one to think that there might have been a family member involved? Gut feeling, and a couple of days later, sure enough, the news reported that a member of the family was suspected.

I'm glad the child is OK but the circumstances, just visiting a relative and the kidnappers just happen to arrive at that specific house ...

makes me wonder.

OK you can all shout at me now ...

[Gardengirl]

I'm really pleased the little boy was returned, and hope that the kidnappers are all found. I felt from the start that a family member would be in some way involved; on this thread I read the kidnappers have been found, but I haven't heard that yet on the radio.

I did wonder how somebody on unemployment benefit could pay for himself and his child to go out there; then the father returned to UK, and is now out there again to collect his son; maybe someone in the family does have a lot of money!

[Frederick]

I think the Pakiistani Police might just get to the bottom of all this now ..I am sure their methods of getting to the truth might be a bit quicker than ours when questioning people. Seems the father has lived in the UK only a few weeks in the past 18 months while he sorted out his immigration papers .

[Dog]

It was clever thinking to get the ransom paid in France - it's surprising the police managed to liase and act so quickly.

The whole thing stinks.