Kidnapping of Shahbaz Taseer

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Shahbaz Taseer is a Pakistani businessman, and the son of the former Governor of Punjab (Pakistan) Salman Taseer. In August 2011, following his father's assassination, [1] he was kidnapped by militants in Lahore while he was driving to his office from home. Taseer was held in captivity for around four and a half years and was recovered from Kuchlak, Balochistan on 8 March 2016. [2] Taseer's kidnapping was referred as one of the most high-profile kidnappings in Pakistan by The Guardian. [3] BBC's HARDtalk interviewed Taseer about his days in captivity. [4] In an interview, he mentioned that he was held by Uzbek militants, before eventually being passed to the Taliban. [5]

Life During Hostage Situation

During an interview, Shahbaz Taseer said: "I was ambushed by about five men... My first instinct was they were going to kill me. They drugged me five minutes after abducting me. I passed out - they had beaten me up very badly because I was moving and screaming while being drugged." [6] He further mentioned that the militants used to beat him badly and his fingernails were pulled out. The militants also sewed his mouth shut and kept him starving for days. [7]

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References

  1. ↑ "Punjab Governor Salman Taseer assassinated in Islamabad - BBC News". BBC News. 4 January 2011. Retrieved 2016-07-26.
  2. ↑ Shah, Syed Ali (8 March 2016). "Abducted Shahbaz Taseer rescued from Balochistan after five years". AFP. Retrieved 2016-10-20.
  3. ↑ Boone, Jon (8 March 2016). "Shahbaz Taseer son of murdered Pakistani governor found after years in captivity". The Guardian. Retrieved 2020-02-09.
  4. ↑ "Shahbaz Taseer - Former Hostage, 2011-2016, Hardtalk - BBC World Service". BBC. Retrieved 2016-07-26.
  5. ↑ "Pakistan kidnap: Shahbaz Taseer recalls four-year hostage ordeal". BBC News. 17 May 2016. Retrieved 2021-06-25.
  6. ↑ "Pakistan kidnap: Shahbaz Taseer recalls four-year hostage ordeal". BBC News. 17 May 2016. Retrieved 2021-06-25.
  7. ↑ Sophia Saifi (16 May 2016). "Pakistan's Shahbaz Taseer: I was tortured". CNN. Retrieved 2021-06-25.


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