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From Chitral to Nuristan: Woman treks across border to find son
Taliban fighters say they will free him only after payment of ransom.
Taliban fighters say they will free him only after payment of ransom. PHOTO: AFP/FILE
PESHAWAR:
From Chitral to Nuristan in Afghanistan is a tough journey, especially in the harsh winters of December. But Shireen Bibi, 60, travelled all the way, walking on foot in places where the forest was thick, to find her missing son.
Shireen’s son was kidnapped on August 27 last year when nearly 300 militants crossed over from Afghanistan to Pakistan and attacked seven security checkpoints along the Durand Line. The brazen cross-border incursion killed more than 30 personnel of the Chitral Scouts, part of the paramilitary Frontier Corps.
Two soldiers, Tariq Jalal and Faqir Hussain, were kidnapped in the attack. Hussain’s beheaded body was found in December in the Darshot forest of Chitral.
It was then that Shireen decided that she would travel to Afghanistan and negotiate with the Taliban for her son Tariq’s release since all attempts to negotiate through an intermediary had failed.
Shireen, a widow and mother of six, said that initially the family tried to muster support from the government, but they were not given any assistance. “My eldest son accompanied me to Nuristan and it took me four days to reach there,” she told The Express Tribune over telephone from Chitral.
“It was raining very heavily when they brought my son to me, but seeing Tariq after months of uncertainty was like an overdue blessing.”
However, despite months of waiting, she could not bring Tariq home. “The militants are demanding Rs6 million for his release,” she said, adding that she has been trying to raise the money on her own.
It’s been a long eight months struggle and now time is running out. We cannot take this any longer and are asking everyone to help us in Tariq’s release, she said.
At a press conference on Monday, Shireen appealed to philanthropists to help her pay the ransom.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 11th, 2012.
Reader Comments (11)
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Another attempt by ET to malign freedom fighters and to degrade important strategic assets. ET, who is funding this campaign?
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Where is Ansar Burney??? Why hasn’t he helped here????
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@kaalchakra
You must be joking. TTP terrorists attacked in hundreds last year and executed FC and policemen infront of firing squads and released videos. Come out of the 80s now
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@kaalchakra: Regardless of who is funding this “campaign,” it is a given that whoever earns the “aah” of a mother is doomed to failure and destruction. Ends do not justify means, specially if one is ideologically oriented, as the perceived impression of Talibans is. How can anyone fighting for anything worthwhile put a mother in such a destitute situation? And, look at her age: 60! All the beliefs and religions of the world teach respect and service to a mother, and I believe Islam puts an overwhelming emphasis on it. This is a despicable act of banditry, nothing else.
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I agree… where is Ansar Burney???
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I don’t know, why our media call these terrorists as “Taliban”. Everyone of us know that they are criminal elements and they kidnap people to get ransom. The only solution is to seal the border with afghanistan completely.
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Where is Hafiz Saeed and JuD? They collect billions of rupees as donations !
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Nothing like the love of a mother. May Allah help Shireen Bibi succeed in reuniting with her son. Inspiring story.
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it is true. here in the town of Chitral a campaign is going on for the release of this teenage soldier. everyone is trying to put his share towards the ransom amount demanded but 6m is way too much for the poor people of chitral where hardly anyone local earns Rs 7000- the minimum wage in Pakistan. It is an irony that this guy Tariq Jalal is a Hafiz Quran. Shame on those barbarians who are demanding this money. from no standards they are supposed to be called Muslims.
they murdered Faqir Hussain who was kidnapped along with tariq. Faqir was also in his early twenties and was 2 months into his wedding. Allah will do his justice is what hopes the bride of Faqir Hussain. Infact we have touched new lows as Muslims with these fanatics being among us. May Tariq comes out unharmed from the clutches of these butchers is what the wish of every helpless like me in the town. Only recently Pakistan goverment paid amount running into billions for release of Swiss couples. Would that it was also concerned with one of its own soldier waiting to be slaughtered. It will not be, because afterall Pakistanis are not as prized as foreigners in this land of pure. And never a chitrali who have suffered the most casualties in this concocted war of terror.Recommend
An old woman went to Taliban in search of her son. Our great army cannot move forward to kill or catch them, because they are our strategic assets.
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We commend the efforts of this brave mother who went on a quest to find her kidnapped son, but we cannot overlook the blatant atrocities of the terrorists. Aren’t these the same people who have kidnapped scores of FC personnel and killed them in cold blood while videotaping their own crimes? Calling them freedom fighters is not only disrespecting this mother but all the other families who have lost their loved ones to the terrorists.
Is it not time to redouble our common efforts to completely neutralize these terrorists so no mother has to go through the trials this one is going through?
Maj David Nevers
DET-United States Central Command
http://www.centcom.mil/ur
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