LAHORE (Staff Report) – For the first time after escaping a five-year long captivity, Shehbaz Taseer on Saturday took to social media for sharing his feelings.
He wrote on his official Twitter account: “Fear can hold you prisoner, hope can set you free – good to be back.”
Fear can hold you prisoner, hope can set you free – good to be back
— Shahbaz Taseer (@ShahbazTaseer) March 12, 2016
Shehbaz Taseer, the son of slain Punjab governor Salmaan Taseer, was recovered earlier this week. According to sources, he was kidnapped by Uzbek militants on 26th August, 2011, who took him to the border areas between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
From there he was transported to an unknown location in Afghanistan where he spent roughly four years under the custody of the Uzbek fighters.
Related: Shahbaz Taseer recovered from Balochistan
This Uzbek group, it turned out, had a bitter rivalry with the Afghan Taliban, and eventually became involved in fierce fighting against them.
After receiving heavy casualties at the hands of the Taliban, what was left of the Uzbek group decided to flee to safer locations. After almost four years of captivity, Taseer was handed a Klashnikov by the Uzbeks and set free.
EXCLUSIVE: The real story of Shehbaz Taseer revealed for the first time
Handed a weapon and set free near a random village in Afghanistan, Taseer stumbled upon the real Afghan Taliban, who did not believe his story at first. He had escaped from one place into another, where he spent 6 more months till he finally was able to send a message to relevant people in Pakistan after which the arrangements for his recovery were made.
There are many conspiracy theories and versions of this story circulating on the social media because so far the true story had been kept under wraps for unknown reasons.
Whatever the reasons may be, Shehbaz Taseer has been through a great ordeal and has survived, we hope that he recovers from the trauma and tells his amazing tale of hope in the face of adversity.
