The legislator was identified as Sardar Riaz.

According to reports, Riaz was travelling from Abbottabad towards Mansehra when his vehicle was intercepted by an armed group. The men allegedly took Riaz and three of his companions away with them.

His vehicle was later found abandoned along the Karakoram Highway in the Mangal area.

“The kidnapping of MPA Mr Riaz has enraged the people of Kohistan, and we demand that the police lodge an FIR against the accused and ensure his early recovery,” religious scholar Maulana Attaur Rehman told a jirga, according to Dawn.

Rehman said Riaz had not challenged the government’s writ and that his alleged abduction had caused concern among his family members.

The PTI has called for Riaz’s immediate recovery and urged authorities to take steps to locate him.