Army recovers SHC CJ’s abducted son from Taliban

Justice Sajjad says COAS had assured him on phone to work for his son’s recovery when the incident took place and then woke him up at 3:00am to inform him about his son’s recovery; thanks govt, army for their efforts to recover Owais Shah

PESHAWAR: Security forces have safely recovered Owais Shah, the son of Chief Justice Sindh High Court (SHC) Sajjad Ali Shah, near Tank district.

Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Lt Gen Asim Salim Bajwa in a tweet said that Owais Shah was recovered through an intelligence based operation (IBO) from the custody of terrorists near Tank. He said three terrorists were killed during the operation.

The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), General Raheel Sharif, commended the efforts of intelligence agencies and security forces for the successful operation. The COAS also called and congratulated the chief justice of the SHC on the recovery of his son.

Owais Ali Shah was reunited with his family on Tuesday, 29 days following his kidnapping from a shopping centre in Clifton, Karachi, on June 20. Official sources said that terrorists had planned to transfer Owais to Afghanistan.

The security forces stopped a car during snap checking when terrorists inside opened fire on them near Tank. In retaliation, three terrorists were shot dead. —APP

 Jamal Khurshid adds from Karachi: Justice Sajjad Ali Shah thanked the government, the Pakistan Army and intelligence agencies for their efforts to recover his son from the captivity of kidnappers.

Talking to media persons at his residence after the return of his son, the chief justice thanked Almighty Allah that his son had returned safely. He said that all credit goes to the Pakistan Army that ensured his safe recovery and he also thanked the government, the Army and intelligence agencies for their efforts to recover his son. The SHC chief justice said General Raheel Sharif had assured him on phone at the beginning of the incident that he will himself monitor the progress of the intelligence investigation team constituted to recover Awais Shah. He said now the COAS woke him at 3:00am and informed him about the recovery of his son on phone.

Meanwhile, Pakistan People’s Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari congratulated SHC CJ Justice Sajjad Ali Shah on the safe recovery of his son Awais Shah from the kidnappers and appreciated the security agencies involved in the recovery operation.

In a press statement, Bilawal stressed that the facilitators of the kidnappers should be located and punished who transported the victim from Karachi in Sindh province to Tank in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province covering 1,100 kilometres long distance without any en route hindrances or obstacles.

The PPP chairman said that recovery of Awais Shah without any harm showed the professionalism of the law enforcing agencies as three terrorists were killed in the operation.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Sindh Syed Qaim Ali Shah, Chief Secretary Siddique Memon, former federal law minister Farooq H Naek, superior court judges, lawyers’ representatives of the Sindh Bar Council, Sindh High Court Bar Association, Karachi Bar Association and other senior lawyers visited the residence of the chief justice SHC and congratulated him on the recovery of his son.

Meanwhile, Mansoor Ahmed Leghari, chairman executive committee of the Sindh Bar Council, in a statement on the behalf of lawyers’ representatives, said that they had decided that in view of the failures of law enforcement agencies in recovering various missing persons and improving law and order, the ongoing boycott of courts would continue till July 20.