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Col Imam executed? - 29 Jan 2011
‘Colonel Imam had ties with Osama, Mullah Omar’
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Mystery prevails: ‘Col Imam still alive’
Sources say Col Imam sill alive and his family is negotiating with the captors to secure his release.
Col Imam is still in Taliban custody. PHOTO: FILE
ISLAMABAD: Former ISI official Sultan Ameer Tarar, commonly known as Col Imam, is still alive and in the custody of Taliban insurgents somewhere in the Waziristan tribal region.
The media had reported last month that Col Imam was executed by the lesser-known Taliban group, Asian Tigers, in North Waziristan after the government turned down their demands.
However, sources told The Express Tribune that Col Imam was alive and his family is negotiating with the captors to secure his release.
A group of the Taliban, which had close ties with Col Imam during the ‘jihad’ against the Soviet troops in Afghanistan, is trying to broker a deal, the sources added.
The abductors have demanded Rs50 million and the release of some of their jailed associates in return for Col Imam’s freedom. The government has rejected the demands, forcing his family to pool the amount on their own. They are hoping that the abductors might settle for ransom money only.
The family has decided to sell out its house in Lahore. But the money would not be enough to meet the abductors’ demand. Therefore, some family friends have also agreed to contribute money.
It is believed that the abductors are not executing Col Imam because of his close links with Taliban chief Mullah Omar and other senior militants.
Col Imam, along with another former ISI official Squadron Leader (retd) Khawaja Khalid and British journalist Asad Qureshi, was seized by the Taliban while travelling in the North Waziristan tribal region on March 26, 2010. Qureshi was released in September after paying a ransom of Rs20 million, while Khawaja was executed by his captors.
Last month, the media reported that Col Imam was also killed by his captors. But former ISI chief Lt-Gen (retd) Hamid Gul had suspected the veracity of the news.
A source told The Express Tribune that the three were abducted while they were returning after interviewing Qari Hussain, the Taliban trainer of suicide bombers, in North Waziristan.
The Taliban suspected that Col Imam and his associates were spying for American CIA to guide drone attacks in the region.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 15th, 2011.
Reader Comments (22)
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This is a man who called the Afghan Taliban beautiful. He said that western women who were kidnapped by them praised the taliban for their humane behaviour. Col Imam was saying this in response to a question about the atrocious human rights record of the Taliban.
It will be interesting to garner his views on the taliban now. But then men like Col Imam will find a way…pakistani taliban…raw…cia…Recommend
”The family has decided to sell out its house in Lahore. But the money would not be enough to meet the abductors’ demand. Therefore, some family friends have also agreed to contribute money.”
sounds funny!!! He must have minimum a blillion in his account…
he and his buddies have a lot of money..the govt shouldnt pay for his ransom…..everyday many people die ….put sultan ameer husain tarar alias colnol imam name it that list.Recommend
people like this colonel & hamid gul are the ones who defend the religious savages at every forum.It’s nice to see one of them get a taste of the “imaan & islami jazba” of their creations up close & personal.
It’s time our people wake up & realise that they don’t have to follow blindly anyone with a beard or any woman wearing burka.Our people have a problem of thinking anyone with a beard & uttering words in arabic as “good”.
Judge people on their actions,not because they just grow beards or hide behind burkas.Recommend
May ALLAH hasten his release.Recommend
Men like Col Imam created a monster that has turned against themselves. If only people like him could be brought to justice for their crimes against the people of Pakistan.Recommend
He seems to be an innocent person and a person who has firm faith in what he is doing. I did saw that program on Jeet kay Geo channelRecommend
@Sajjad: What is the source of your “million..billion” information? If he has that money why wouldnt he live peacefully in Dubai or England instead of roaming in the most dangerous place on this planet? Recommend
its not wt it seems…….Recommend
@Nasir Jamal
Could not agree with you any better.Recommend
@sajjad:I have known him personally for some years now.He lived a simple life in a simple house,drove a beaten old early eighties land cruiser and only lately seemed to be more open about his views.Base your thoughts on fact,do not act like a PPP candidate in whose by the way the taliban were formed…anybody remember that??Recommend
Col. Imam is a good man, May Allah protect him and hope his release is secured. Ameen!Recommend
Like Pakistan One, I also agree with Mr Nasir Jamal.
This is a typical case of reaping what you sowed! The demon created by Pakistani Establishment has turned back to attack its creator!
But Pakistani media should highlight the architects of this self-defeating policy. Under whose leadership-Political and Military-did this start?
Wasn’t it (creating the Mujahideen outfit) the brainchild of Musharraf under the tutelage of the Omnipresent Hamid Gul? Wasn’t it Late Ms Benazir Bhutto who allowed this type of terrorist training camp to come up?
Pakistani media has a great responsibility to expose this because this demon now is becoming a parallel government!Recommend
@deep, Sajjad,faraz, for God sake keep your stupid and biasd ideas with, ask your mum n dad, when he was coaching talibans at that time every paksitan was backing this move, plus Col imam was just small low ranked officer he was just abiding by the policy not making the policy, how the talian’s monstor couldnt be controlled because of the incompetency of the pakistani govt plus coz of the US tatoos like you people, who just know to grind their own axe.Recommend
@Immy: I do would disagree with you that every Pakistani was supporting Talibans and the so-called Afgan Jihad. Recommend
Ager Col Imam ne Arab fighters sell kiye hotay wo bhe 400$ per fighter to un ke accounts me itnni raqam zuroor hoti k wo ransom de kr choot jatay magr ye sab darama. Col Imam ko CIA ne jo american spy agency ne kidnap karwaya or unho ne he shaheed karwaya hai.Recommend
Aoa,
Firstly, One should be able to see the difference between the real Afghan Talibans and the faithless insurgents with Hakeem ullah Mahsud as their head.
Secondly, It is quite evident who would have killed Col Imam if one has seen the last interviews of the Col on the national media. To make it easy, it can not be anyone other than American and Indian supported insurgents of tribal areas. Govt. of Pakistan has enough evidence to prove that the Insurgents in tribal area are supported actively by Americans and Indians. You do not need to be Amanpur or Kamran Khan to find this out.
Thirdly, one should see the personal Gallantry bearing of the old Col in face of death. Man, believe me, you will not see this courageous demonstration ever again. It only shows how much conviction he had, in idea for which he lived. Right or wrong is our personal perception, he died believing what he thought was right. Recommend
@ Nadeem Zafar,Amer Malik,Immy,
i by myself was not happy to see a human being killed like he was shot….but its a fact that he trained Taliban, he kept coming on talk shows praising Taliban, he hasn’t praised Pakistan army who was fighting Taliban in Swat, Bajour, Momand ..where ever the operations are going on….he had sympathies for the Innocent Taliban but had no sympathy for the cruel Pakistan Army…..and if you say that he was praising Afghan Taliban then i must tell you that an Evil is Evil wherever it is…. weather its in Pakistan or Afghanistan or USA or in Heaven and Hell.Recommend
@sajjad:
Sajjad bhai do some homework on the dynamics of Pakistan Army. I hail from Chakwal..and trust me..Col Imam was true to Pakistan and Pakistan Army till his last breath. His son is a serving army officer..doesnt that tell you anything? Col Imam was an SSG commando..doing his duty for Pakistan in uniform..and in civilian clothes after his retirement. I wish I could write more to help you, but this is a public platform. Recommend
dont give your comments until u dont have any information and u should b shameful on urself that u r using such type of bad words about a hero of nation. just watch col Imam,s interview in Geo tv programme jawab deh
and for ur kind information Col Imam is my grand father (NANA)Recommend
Dear all,
pls pray for him becoz his life is still a mystery
i request to all of youRecommend
Dear Bilal,
I am sorry for your loss and as i mentioned before that i am not happy on what happened to your grand father, i my self belong to Swat, two of my uncles were murdered by the Taliban and many other relatives in Swat…..that why i don’t have any sympathy for the Taliban or their Associates…you must admit that he was training Taliban and was their associate…i apologize to you because you are the grandson of Sultan ameer tarar….not because you are the grandson of colonel Imam ,a Taliban associate.Recommend
Dear Sajjad
u r right but col imam was not associated wirh taliban,s activities in pakistan he was just their teacher in afghanistan against russia and in his interview in geo tv he already told that mujhahideen of that time were very good people they were fighting just for the sake of islam and afghanistanRecommend