Anguish for family of Pakistan kidnap boy Sahil Saeed

Sahil Saeed was taken following a raid on his grandmother's home

Relatives of a five-year-old boy kidnapped in Pakistan have spoken of their anguish after reports he had been found turned out to be false.

Sahil Saeed's uncle, Raja Khalid Bashir, told the BBC it was "like losing him a second time".

He was speaking from Jhelum, Punjab, where Sahil, from Oldham, Greater Manchester, was snatched from his grandmother's house by armed robbers.

Police have confirmed that Thursday's reports of his release were untrue.

A Punjab minister had earlier been reported as saying the boy had been found and handed over to his father.

However, the authorities have since said it could be days or even weeks before he is recovered.

Mr Bashir said: "It's shocking. One minute you hear we've found him and the next minute you hear it was false."

Departure 'regret'

Sahil had been in Pakistan visiting family with his father, Raja Saeed. They were preparing to take a taxi to the airport for his flight home when the raiders struck on 3 March.

Interior Minister Rehman Malik has said he believes someone "very close to the family" was responsible for the abduction.

On Wednesday, the BBC learned that Mr Saeed returned to the UK against the wishes of Pakistan's police. However, he has not been named as a suspect and so was free to travel.

Regional police chief Muhammad Aslam Tareen said he regretted that Mr Saeed had left Pakistan because his presence could have helped them recover Sahil more quickly.

After Sahil was taken, several men - including a taxi driver - were arrested.

However, four police officers were suspended after it emerged they did not initially respond to the family's emergency call.

Sahil has been placed on official watch lists to ensure he cannot be taken out of the country. The attackers are said to have demanded a £100,000 ($150,000) ransom for his return.

Pakistani community groups in Oldham have said they are considering setting up a fund to pay ransoms in the event of kidnaps.

The UK government has a policy of not paying ransoms and advises third parties against doing so, arguing that this would encourage future kidnappings.