A man, who had run away from his home when he was only four years old and was sold to Afghan shepherds by human traffickers, has reunited with his family after 22 years.
The family of Khan Zarin of Sara Dherai village was overjoyed after meeting with Lal Zada, his only son who was taken by his mother when he was four.
Zarin, who also has nine daughters, told reporters that he came to know later that unknown human traffickers had sold his child to Afghan shepherds in Quetta, Balochistan, after his wife’s demise. Khan Zarin said a jirga comprising local elders went to Quetta and persuaded the Afghan shepherds to free the youth. He claimed that the shepherds confessed to buying the child from some Pakhtuns 22 years ago.
Local residents said the family celebrated return of the youth by distributing sweets among their neighbours.
“My captors kept telling me that I was an orphan,” Lal Zada said on the occasion, adding he grew up grazing a flock of goat and sheep.