LAHORE: Aamir Malik, son-in-law of former chairman of joint chiefs of staff committee, Gen Tariq Majeed, who was kidnapped from outside his Model Town residence in August 2010, reached home after being released by the Taliban captors.
A police source told Dawn they had solid information that Mr Aamir reached home safely on Thursday morning while his family said he was recovered safely but had yet to reach home.
According to sources, intelligence agencies played a role in the release of Mr Aamir and some reports said millions of rupees were paid as ransom.
Aftab Malik, a resident of Model Town Extension, told Dawn that his son was safe and would reach home in a day or two.
He, however, declined to say which law enforcement agency got his son released and what demands of his captors were met.
“We have given nothing to the captors for Aamir’s return and I am thankful to Allah that my son is alive,” he said.
Mr Aamir is a jeweller and was president of Barkat Market Traders Union in Garden Town at the time of his kidnapping. He was kept in the tribal belt, possibly in Waziristan, and the kidnappers had provided a list of their demands to his family.
According to family sources, initially the demands of the kidnappers included payment of Rs500 million as ransom and release of 50 militants.
The captors had sent a video footage of Mr Aamir, family sources said.
Gen Tariq Majeed was the JCSC when Mr Aamir was kidnapped. He has two daughters and is now engaged in real state business.
A senior officer told Dawn that Lahore police had dissociated itself from the case a few months after Aamir’s kidnapping because he was in the tribal area.
The officer said he was not aware if the family had paid any ransom.
Dear visitor, the comments section is undergoing an overhaul and will return soon.