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Friday March 29, 2024

Gilani’s son recovered after three years

By Mariana Baabar
May 11, 2016

ISLAMABAD: Ali Haider Gilani, the son of former prime minister Yusuf Raza Gilani, was recovered on Tuesday from his captors in the Ghazni province of Afghanistan, three years after he was kidnapped on May 9, 2013 from Multan while participating in the election campaign.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the news after the office of President Ashraf Ghani released a similar statement.

“The Afghan National Security Adviser, Mr. Mohammad Hanif Atmar, in a telephone call to the Adviser to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs, Mr. Sartaj Aziz, informed that Mr. Ali Haider Gilani, son of Mr. Yusuf Raza Gilani, former Prime Minister of Pakistan, has been recovered today in a joint operation carried out by the Afghan and US security forces in Ghazni, Afghanistan.”

Soon after Yusuf Raza Gilani received a telephone call from the Afghan ambassador in Islamabad Dr Omar Zakhilwal explaining that Ali Haider had been recovered in a joint US-Afghan operation.

Gilani was in the Bagh district of Azad Kashmir when he received the news and immediately shared it with the rally participants.

Ali Haider’s overjoyed family now awaits his return which the government says is being arranged following a medical check-up.

Ali Haider’s recovery comes soon after the release of another high-profile Pakistani, Shahbaz Taseer, the son of former Punjab governor Salmaan Taseer, who spent nearly five years in captivity and was recovered from Quetta.

For the families and friends, it was heartening that both the youngsters were in good health when recovered.

According to Ashraf Ghani’s office, it appeared to be plain luck that Ali Haider was at a place where Afghan and US security forces had, in a joint operation, raided a hideout of terrorists.

Ashraf Ghani’s office stated, “During this anti-insurgency operation, Ali Haider Gilani ... was identified at the site of the operation, and was freed from terrorists.”

The statement added that the raid occurred in the neighbouring Paktika province.

Another statement from the US forces in Afghanistan also confirmed Ali Haider’s recovery which added that the raid in the Gayan district of Paktika saw four enemy combatants killed in the operation.

“When we first heard the news, we didn’t believe it and only believed it when the Foreign Office confirmed it,” Ali Musa Gilani, Ali Haider’s brother, told Geo TV. “Right now, we don’t have any plans to celebrate. We are just waiting to see his face.”

While celebrations are in order in Multan, both Ali and Salman are high-profile cases, there are hundreds of other kidnapped Pakistanis whose fate is still unknown, missing from the media focus.

There were reports that Gilani will reach Lahore today from Kabul.

Meanwhile, Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif phoned Yusuf Raza Gilani and congratulated him on the recovery of his son.