CHITRAL, April 27: Naik Tariq Jalal of Chitral Scouts, a resident of Denin, reached home on Friday – more than eight months after being kidnapped and taken to Afghanistan by the Taliban.
He was set free by the militants reportedly after receiving ransom. The family and people of Chitral took a sigh of relief on the safe return of Jalal. It may be noted that last year over 40 soldiers of Chitral Scouts were martyred when hundreds of Afghan militants attacked their posts near Pak-Afghan border at Arandu.
Faqir Hussain, a resident if Garum Chashma, and Naik Tariq Jalal of Denin were taken hostage by the Afghan Taliban and later shifted to Noristan by their captors.
Faqir Hussain was later reportedly killed by the militants while Tariq Jalal remained in the custody of Taliban who later demanded six million rupees for his release.
The poor old mother of Jala on April 9 appealed to people of Pakistan to make possible the safe recovery of her son. The district chapter of PakistanTehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) also helped the poor woman in appealing for donations to get her son released.—Waqar Ahmad