- Former prime minister’s son recovered in joint Afghan-US operation
- Family overwhelmed by the news; PM, COAS, Zardari, Bilawal and others congratulate Gilani
Ali Haider Gilani, son of ex-prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, who was abducted three years ago from Multan, has been recovered from Afghanistan’s Ghazni province in a joint operation carried out by Afghan and US forces against an ‘Al Qaeda affiliated group’.
The US officials said the operation was conducted by US Special Forces and Afghan commandos. Officials said four extremists were killed during the operation.
In the evening Ali Haider Gilani was handed over to Pakistan’s embassy in Kabul. His transfer to Pakistan is being arranged following required medical check-up.
His brother Abdul Qadir Gilani told media personnel that he will be brought on a special plane to Pakistan.
“He is still in Afghanistan but will soon be among us.”
Former premier Gilani received a call from the ambassador of Afghanistan to Pakistan, informing him that Ali Haider had been recovered in a successful operation in Afghanistan. Gilani was ‘ecstatically delighted’ after receiving the news, said the Afghan ambassador in a Facebook post.
Ali Haider is safe and in good health, and arrangements are being made to bring him back to Pakistan, said a statement released by the Foreign Office.
According to reports, Ali Haider Gilani was first brought to the Bagram airbase, which is the main airbase for American troops. He was then transferred to Kabul from where he will be brought back to Islamabad.
Adviser to Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz was conveyed the news by Afghan National Security Adviser Mohammad Hanif Atmar, said the statement.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif expressed their joy over the safe recovery of Ali Haider Gilani.
Army chief Gen Raheel Sharif and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif telephoned Yousuf Raza Gilani to congratulate him on the recovery of his son.
Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani thanked General Raheel Sharif for cooperating at every level for the recovery of his son.
Former President and PPP Chairman Asif Ali Zardari also congratulated the former Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani on the recovery of his son.
PPP Leader Qamar Zaman Kaira while talking to a local TV channel congratulated the country and the Gilani family on the news of the recovery of Ali Haider.
“We are thankful to the Afghan government and all the security forces that made this recovery possible,” Kaira said.
News of Ali Haider’s recovery was also announced by Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, and was later confirmed by the Foreign Office.
Fiza Batool Gilani had tweeted on Monday praying for her brother’s safe return.
MY SON HAS BEEN RESCUED WITH YOUR PRAYERS:
Scenes of joyous celebration erupted in Bagh district, Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK), where crowds had already gathered for a PPP rally on Tuesday afternoon.
Former PM Yousuf Raza Gilani gave a brief but energetic address to the rally, saying his son has been rescued from Afghanistan after three years of captivity in an operation.
Gilani said he received news of his son’s rescue as he was getting on the helicopter to come to Bagh, but chose to continue to the rally.
“My son has been rescued with your prayers. My happiness is so great that I could not be stingy and not share the principles of Bhutto with you all.”
The rally was part of Bilawal’s tour of AJK in the run up to elections this summer. Former prime ministers Yousuf Raza Gilani and Raja Pervez Ashraf, along with Faryal Talpur were also present at the venue, where Bilawal is scheduled to address the rally.
Speaking to a local TV channel, Ali Haider’s brother, Ali Musa Gilani, said:
“I can’t wait to meet him. My mother is overwhelmed with emotion. I cannot explain in words how traumatic the three years were for our family.”
Ali Haider is expected to reach his home in Multan later today.
CELEBRATIONS AHEAD OF HOMECOMING:
Supporters of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) poured onto the streets in Multan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir and chanted celebratory slogans.
“Gilani tere jaan nisar, beshumar beshumar [We would sacrifice our life for Gilani]!”
Dozens of people, of all ages, gathered on the main junctions in the city waving party flags and distributing mithai (sweets).
The Gilani family has a strong voter base in Multan, where voters have lent overwhelming support to the former prime minister during elections.
THE KIDNAPPING:
Ali Haider was kidnapped by gunmen in Multan on May 9, 2013, days before he was slated to run for the Punjab Assembly.
Ali Haider was kidnapped when he was leaving a street corner meeting outside the house of a supporter at Matti Tal Road in Multan’s Farrukh Town.
His two associates were killed during the kidnapping.
At the time of the abduction, Ali Haider was contesting for the general election from PPP-200 constituency in Multan.
His family is one of the most powerful in the central town of Multan and a key clan in the PPP, whose campaign for re-election had been dramatically curtailed by Tehreek-e-Taliban threats at the time.
Yousaf Raza Gilani was prime minister from March 2008 until he was sacked and indicted by the Supreme Court in April 2012 for refusing to reopen corruption cases against the then-president Asif Ali Zardari.
The former prime minister led major military offensives against Taliban strongholds like Swat and South Waziristan in 2009.
The news of Ali Haider Gilani’s return follows the recovery of Shahbaz Taseer, son of slain Punjab governor Salmaan Taseer, who was recovered by security and intelligence forces from Balochistan’s Kuchlak area nearly five years after his abduction in 2011.
Shahbaz was kidnapped from Lahore on Aug 26, 2011, near his company’s head office in Gulberg area. He was driving towards the offices of the First Capital Group off M.M. Alam Road in Gulberg when he was intercepted by kidnappers.
The abductors who, according to witnesses, used a Prado jeep and a motorcycle, bundled the young Taseer into the four-wheeler and rushed away unimpeded.
This daylight kidnapping was one of the several criminal acts committed while Shabaz Sharif was Chief Minister of Punjab. Taseer’s son too was kidnapped in broad day light from a populated area! It tells us a lot. This is the criminal side of Panama crime. Why weren’t Hamza or Rana Sana kidnapped. It is because they protect them. Shabaz Sharif must resign now. Modal Town murders, Col Shuja Khanzada murder are some of the crimes committed and justice has not been done. So how can one expect a transparent clean Panama probe when his brother and he are in power?
It is time for Yusaf Raza to seek Allah’s forgiveness for what he and his family did while he was Prime Minister. There was nothing to be proud of but only shame.
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