LAHORE: While in captivity, Shahbaz Taseer struggled to endure the potentially fatal torture perpetrated on him by his captors. At the same time, he sought to suppress memories of his family and friends, since thinking about their love, adoration and concerns would cause him mental pain.

Shahbaz Taseer, the author of “Lost to the World: A Memoir of Faith, Family, and Five Years in Terrorist Captivity,” described his five traumatic years spent in the captivity of the Taliban in border regions of Pakistan and Afghanistan from 2011 to 2016.

He opened the conversation by recounting the events of a day in August 2011 when he was kidnapped by terrorists from the MM Alam Road.

The days that followed brought not just enormous grief but also empathy and faith “As my attackers hauled me out of the car, my first thought was an incidence of carjacking,” he recalled. “I requested them to take my money and phone and leave. Then one of the kidnappers shouted my name and said Shahbaz, I came to get you.” Suddenly, he passed out and awoke in a very different world.

Shahbaz acknowledges that despite coming from a wealthy family, his five years of being held captive by cruel people helped him grow as a person and deepen his spiritual beliefs.

He was asked by moderator Salahuddin about his thoughts in isolation. He said the only companies he had in his memories were his family and friends and that just picturing their faces was terrible. Salmaan Taseer, his father, was a role model for him during a difficult period.

“The memories of my parents gave me strength, and I used to tell myself that I needed to be stronger.” Yet, his kidnappers were determined to weaken his determination. “They kept me in solitary confinement for six months before telling me that talks had failed because his family had been unable to secure a Rs4bn ransom and the release of 25 dangerous militants, including the one who had murdered his father.

“My mental health suffered as a result of solitary confinement. I didn’t recognise my mother’s voice when I spoke to her,” he said.

For five years, Shahbaz was held captive in a number of locations, including the home of one of the militant commanders. The commander’s toddler son and baby daughter were the only people who made him smile throughout those times. Even if the memories of his earlier confinement still trouble him, Shahbaz is happy to have returned home and to be speaking to the right audience.

CRICKET: A typical cricket book or conversation is anticipated to focus on numerical data, stars in or out of form, and emotions but the Cricket in Pakistan: Nation, Identity, and Politics by Ali Khan, examines social, cultural, politicoeconomic, diplomatic, nationalist and religious boundaries in the sport.

Author Ali Khan, Bushra Aitzaz Ahsan and Mohammed Waseem were among the panelists in the discussion on the book at the Lahore Literary Festival with Abdullah Sumbal as the moderator.

Ali Khan opened the session by saying, “If someone wants to study Pakistan thoroughly, cricket is one of the greatest tools to analyse the country’s social, cultural and political elements since 1947”

Cricket, according to the author, reflected the time when Pakistan first appeared to be a promising nation. Pakistani teams won both domestic and international series, although it took India a long time to accomplish the same feat, he said and added that the way cricket was played often followed the same patterns as when democracy was disturbed. Cricket is showing Pakistan’s democracy’s stability at this time, he added.

“Up until the 1990s, the players from Karachi and Lahore made up most of the national cricket team. Now, however, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has a sizable representation. The majority of cricket players used to come from wealthy families but today the majority comes from the modest backgrounds,” he remarked.

Bushra Aitzaz, a pioneer of women’s cricket in Pakistan, spoke about the elite, religious, and army-run systems that dominated the country’s cricket. She said the book under discussion presented events that explained what was important for the society to improve. Bushra narrated the ordeals they faced in the formation of a women’s cricket team in Pakistan, the lack of resources, and the government’s reluctance to support the women players.

Dr Waseem, who arrived late to the session, complained about the lack of consistency in cricket sets, increased centralisation, nationalist movements and the lack of professionalism within teams and the PCB.

Published in Dawn, February 26th, 2023