Afghanistan Times
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Afghan officials reject reports of Gillani’s son presence in Afghanistan
AT-KABUL: The ex-prime minister of Pakistan, Yusuf Raza Gillani, had telephonic conversion with his abducted son for the first time since May 9, 2013.
According to Pakistani media, Gillani’s son, Ali Haider, called his father from Afghanistan.
The News Tribe, a Pakistani online newspaper, said that the conversation between father and son lasted for eight minutes. Gillani hoped that his son would be released soon. He also said that his son was “safe and sound”.
The vice chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, was also present with the former Pakistani premier on the occasion. Qureshi also talked to the abducted son of Raza Gillani. Ali Haider was kidnapped by armed gunmen in front of his party’s office. He was active member of the Pakistan People’s Party.
However, Afghan officials rejected reports about Gillani’s son presence in Afghanistan. Talking to Afghanistan Times, a senior official of the interior ministry said that they had no information in this regard.
Wishing anonymity because the government has prevented officials from talking to media, except the interior ministry’s spokesman, the officer said that Pakistani authorities had no credible information or evidence to prove the claims.
Afghanistan Times tried several times to contact the Ministry of Interior’s spokesman Sidiq Sidiqi, but failed to reach him. Spokesman to the Presidential Office, Ajmal Obaid Abidy, had not answered the repeated calls as well.
The deputy spokesman to the interior ministry, Najeeb Danish, said that he had no information in this regard.
Another officials, on the condition not be named due to the same reason, said that Pakistani officials in interactions with Afghan authorities on different occasions claimed that Raza Gillani’s son has been brought to Afghanistan by the kidnappers.
“However, they run short of information when asked about identity of kidnapers and their motive or location in Afghanistan. When Pakistani security officials had the opportunity to trace the kidnappers inside their country, but failed, then how can we be sure that son of the former Pakistani prime minister is in Afghanistan. We have no clue,” he said.
He stressed on sharing of the credible intelligence report to free Gillani’s son, “if he is in Afghanistan”.
