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| Shahbaz Taseer: Pakistan's high-profile kidnap victim reunited with family | Shahbaz Taseer: Pakistan's high-profile kidnap victim reunited with family |
| (6 months later) | |
| A day after his five years in militant captivity came to an end, Shahbaz Taseer flew to his home city of Lahore on Wednesday to be reunited with his family. | A day after his five years in militant captivity came to an end, Shahbaz Taseer flew to his home city of Lahore on Wednesday to be reunited with his family. |
| Gone were the traditional clothes and Balochi cap that the 33-year-old had been wearing the day before, when he walked into a restaurant in the town of Kuchlak, in the restive southern province of Balochistan. | Gone were the traditional clothes and Balochi cap that the 33-year-old had been wearing the day before, when he walked into a restaurant in the town of Kuchlak, in the restive southern province of Balochistan. |
| Now, in pictures posted online by Pakistan’s army spokesman, a smiling Taseer wore jeans and a polo shirt as he descended the stairs of a private jet. | Now, in pictures posted online by Pakistan’s army spokesman, a smiling Taseer wore jeans and a polo shirt as he descended the stairs of a private jet. |
| Shahbaz Taseer flown to Lahore, lands and reunites with his family pic.twitter.com/eLkgDJRXSn | Shahbaz Taseer flown to Lahore, lands and reunites with his family pic.twitter.com/eLkgDJRXSn |
| He was also pictured greeting his mother, Aamna Taseer, and other members of one of Pakistan’s leading business families, which has also dabbled in national politics. | He was also pictured greeting his mother, Aamna Taseer, and other members of one of Pakistan’s leading business families, which has also dabbled in national politics. |
| Taseer’s father, former Punjab governor Salmaan Taseer, was murdered just months before Shahbaz was kidnapped on 26 August 2011 as he was driving his sports car to his office in Lahore. | Taseer’s father, former Punjab governor Salmaan Taseer, was murdered just months before Shahbaz was kidnapped on 26 August 2011 as he was driving his sports car to his office in Lahore. |
| Latest pics of Mr Shahbaz Taseer taken at Quetta,9:30 PM today.In full protection,he is hale and hearty pic.twitter.com/MqmfYtEzcX | Latest pics of Mr Shahbaz Taseer taken at Quetta,9:30 PM today.In full protection,he is hale and hearty pic.twitter.com/MqmfYtEzcX |
| During his almost five years as a hostage, Taseer is thought to have been moved around the country and passed between different militant groups, including Lashkar-e-Janghvi, al-Qaida and the Pakistani Taliban. | During his almost five years as a hostage, Taseer is thought to have been moved around the country and passed between different militant groups, including Lashkar-e-Janghvi, al-Qaida and the Pakistani Taliban. |
| Although security officials claimed Taseer was recovered during a raid based on an intelligence tipoff, there have been claims a settlement had been reached with the kidnappers. | Although security officials claimed Taseer was recovered during a raid based on an intelligence tipoff, there have been claims a settlement had been reached with the kidnappers. |
| The owner of the Al-Saleem, the restaurant in Kuchlak, said Taseer simply walked in, ordered food and then asked to make a phone call. | The owner of the Al-Saleem, the restaurant in Kuchlak, said Taseer simply walked in, ordered food and then asked to make a phone call. |
| No details have been released about which group was holding him at the time he regained his freedom. It is possible ongoing military operations against militant groups had made it progressively harder for Taseer’s captors to keep hold of him. | No details have been released about which group was holding him at the time he regained his freedom. It is possible ongoing military operations against militant groups had made it progressively harder for Taseer’s captors to keep hold of him. |
| His freedom came just over a week after his father’s killer, a former police bodyguard called Mumtaz Qadri, was executed. | His freedom came just over a week after his father’s killer, a former police bodyguard called Mumtaz Qadri, was executed. |
| Qadri’s hanging surprised some commentators because of the widespread public support for his action against Salmaan Taseer. Before his death, Salmaan Taseer had been demonised by radical mullahs for his criticism of Pakistan’s infamous blasphemy laws. | Qadri’s hanging surprised some commentators because of the widespread public support for his action against Salmaan Taseer. Before his death, Salmaan Taseer had been demonised by radical mullahs for his criticism of Pakistan’s infamous blasphemy laws. |
| He had also campaigned for a pardon for a poor Christian woman named Asia Bibi who had been sentenced to death despite a weak case against her. | He had also campaigned for a pardon for a poor Christian woman named Asia Bibi who had been sentenced to death despite a weak case against her. |
| An estimated 100,000 people attended Qadri’s funeral prayers in the city of Rawalpindi, and a deadly suicide bomb attack on a courthouse on Monday was claimed by a faction of the Pakistani Taliban, which said it was avenging Qadri’s execution. | An estimated 100,000 people attended Qadri’s funeral prayers in the city of Rawalpindi, and a deadly suicide bomb attack on a courthouse on Monday was claimed by a faction of the Pakistani Taliban, which said it was avenging Qadri’s execution. |