Afghan national security adviser informed the Pakistani authorities about safe recovery of Gillani’s son during an operation in Ghazni area of Afghanistan.
Statement from the Afghan national security adviser
“Recovered after 3 years of captivity from an Al-Qaeda affiliated group. He is well and will be repatriated to his family soon. Earlier I called Mr. Yusuf Reza Gilani and informed him about the good news. He was ecstatically delighted as expected and grateful of President Ghani’s personal attention to his son’s safe release. He also thanked the Afghan Security Forces for bringing a happy ending to a dreadful family saga for them.”
News about recovery of Gillani’s son was disclosed by PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari via a tweet. According to Bilawal’s tweet, former PM Yusuf Raza Gillani received a phone call from the Afghan ambassador in Islamabad who informed him that his son Ali Haider Gillani, has been recovered from Ghazni.
Ali Haider Gillani was kidnapped on May 9, 2013 from Multan during an election rally for General Elections 2013. He has been rescued after three years.
Army chief telephones ex-PM Gillani
Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif has telephoned ex-PM Gillani and congratulated him on recovery of his son.
He informed the senipr PPP leader that medical checkup of his son was underway. He also praised patience and confidence of Gillani family in the security forces.
Afghanistan’s National Security Advisor, in a telephone call to Pakistan’s Foreign Affairs Advisor Sartaj Aziz informed him that Ali Haider Gillani has been recovered in a joint operation conducted by American and Afghan forces from Ghazni.
Hanif Atmar, Afganistan’s National Security Advisor, also disclosed that a medical check-up of Ali Haider Gillani will be conducted since he was not feeling well and then he would be sent to Pakistan.
According to ARY News bureau chief in Islamabad Sabir Shakir, Ali Haider Gillani is being kept currently at Bagram airbase, a U.S. military base in Afghanistan. There, he was said to be a little unwell but out of harm’s way.
Sabir Shakir also revealed that Haider Gillani would be dispatched to Pakistan after his medical check-up was conducted.
“I am in Multan and Gillani sahab is in Islamabad,” he said. “I will await the confirmation from ISPR since it would confirm the news for me. For the time being, all I can base this news from is a tweet,” he said.
It is pertinent to mention here that son of former Governor of Punjab Salman Taseer, Shahbaz Taseer was also recovered after five years from Balochistan.
Following his recovery, Yousuf Raza Gillani had stated that he wished his son would also be rescued.
Ali Musa Gillani spoke to ARY News exclusively and said that his father had received the call from the Afghan ambassador when he was on his way to attend PPP’s political gathering at Bagh.
“Till now, no government institution has confirmed the news,” said Musa. “I do not have details concerning Ali Haider Gillani at the moment.”
‘Telephonic talk with abducted son’
Ali was kidnapped during an election campaign rally on May 9, 2013. His secretary and a bodyguard were killed and four people wounded. “My son Ali Haider Gilani told me that he is happy and safe at (an) unknown place,” Yousaf Raza Gilani told after the phone call.
“He enquired about the health of his mother and other family members. He declined to disclose more and said that Almighty Allah will surely help us. He said that he is safe and sound and we should not be worried about him.”
Gilani senior was prime minister from March 2008 until he was sacked and indicted by the Supreme Court in April 2012 for refusing to re-open corruption cases against the then-president.
He had complained after the kidnapping that his family was not given security despite being threatened.
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