Ex-PM Gilani’s son freed?

MULTAN: Former prime minister Yusuf Raza Gilani’s son, Ali Haider Gilani, has been recovered safely as a result of a successful deal reached between the Gilani family and the Taliban, insiders told The News on Monday.

According to sources, the junior Gilani was released on Friday last and shifted to Islamabad, though his family is reluctant to disclose this fact at this stage. The family is in Islamabad currently to celebrate the recovery.

Friends of Gilani family told this scribe that Ali Haider is weak but safe and quite happy after meeting his family members after spending more than two years in captivity. Sources said Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif played a key role in the recovery of the junior Gilani. He approached the Afghan government and security agencies for his safe recovery. Sources said Ali Haider had been released on the terms and conditions of kidnappers.

Repeated attempts were made to confirm this but Yusuf Raza Gilani did not pick up his phone. His younger brother Ahmad Mujtaba Gilani was contacted, who said he was in Lahore and (Yusuf Raza) Gilani Sahib was in Islamabad. “I have no confirmation about the recovery. I am leaving Lahore for Islamabad and I will be able to talk about it on Tuesday night (tonight) on this issue,” Mujtaba Gilani told The News. However, sources said he was also in Islamabad with the rest of the Gilani family.