Daily Times

RAWALPINDI: In yet another successful operation, the military on Monday night managed to recover Awais Ali Shah, the son of Sindh High Court Chief Justice Sajjad Ali Shah, who was abducted from outside a supermarket in Karachi on June 21.

Addressing a press conference, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Asim Bajwa said that Awais Shah had been kidnapped by members of a Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) splinter group and al Qaeda.

He said that soldiers rescued the CJ’s son from his Taliban captors after finding him bound in chains, with his mouth taped shut.

Awais Shah was found in the backseat of a car in a town bordering the northwestern tribal areas.

Bajwa said Awais Shah was recovered from his kidnappers who were transporting him to Dera Ismail Khan in a blue Toyota Surf vehicle.

He said a burqa-clad figure was found in the backseat of the vehicle after the security forces shot the driver and two armed militants in a bid to stop them. The recovered man was identified as Awais Shah, blindfolded, with his hands and feet chained, he said.

Security forces then took Shah to a nearby camp.

“This was a TTP splinter group with some al Qaeda elements,” said Bajwa, explaining the affiliation of Shah’s kidnappers.

“There was a whole chain of people who were awake to make this operation a success last night and there is always some operation of this scale going on.”

Bajwa also allayed suspicions, saying there was no information that any political party was involved in the kidnapping.

“The operation was only completed this morning and Awais hasn’t been debriefed yet,” said Bajwa, explaining why Shah hasn’t spoken to the media since returning home.

For operational reasons, the kidnappers’ demands and the location from where they contacted Shah’s family from could not be shared, said Bajwa.

“It’s possible that it can help us in our work ahead,” he said.

“Whatever high-profile kidnappings they did, they had a purpose. They wanted to spread terror,” he said, referring to the series of kidnappings involving Ali Haider Gilani, Shahbaz Taseer and Awais Shah.

“I want to salute the affected families. They have faced this challenge with perseverance, and ultimately all three cases were solved.”

The ISPR DG said weapons and ammunitions were recovered from the militants, including three AK-47 rifles and 500 rounds and six grenades.

Bajwa also revealed that security had been heightened in DI Khan, as there was a “surge” in extremist activity in the area, especially along the DI Khan-Tank Road.