Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan on Friday confirmed to a private TV channel that the government has received video footage of Ali Haider Gilani in which he said that his kidnappers were not from the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
The kidnappers have asked for Rs. 500 million for Gilani’s release instead of the earlier demand of Rs2 billion, said Nisar, adding that the captive can be seen bounded by chains in the video.
This is the first time that any contact was made by him and his captors with the Gilani family since his abduction in from Multan on May 9, 2013 from outside a Pakistan People’s Party office.
In the said video, Gilani says that he will be killed if serious steps are not taken for his release.
“Why are you people not paying the ransom to the militants to get me released from their custody?” Gilani asks in the video.
Gilani reportedly appeared weak and haggard and was handcuffed in the video.
Mean the Ex. PM has severely criticized Ch. Nisar for for sharing the video with the media, Mr Gilani said: “It is regrettable that the minister shared the video with the media without bringing it to my knowledge. I did not expect such an irresponsible behaviour from Chaudhry Nisar who is a friend. After receiving the video, he should have contacted me first.
“My family and I could not sleep the whole night when we learnt about the disturbing content of the video,” he said.
He went on to add that the captors did not want money but the release of certain prisoners from Adiala jail.
